PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 18 July 1917, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

(Abridged from Press Association.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, J-cxy 17

AFTERNOON SITTING. The House mot at 2.30 p.m ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Tho debate on the Adtlrcss-in-Reply was resumed by Mr .J. Craigie. no dealt with tho new problems winch were certain to arise after the war, and urged tho Government to make adequate and immediate preparation against the day when our sokuers would be returning. A diificulty in tho way of securing snthcient small farms was the excessive price of land. To remedy tlrs he advocated a drastic graduated land tax which unmistakably would burst up big estates. The lion in the path of national efficiency in this Dominion was tho drink traffic. After the. way wo had trifled with the traffic we did .not deserve victory. He strongly favoured six o'clock closing. (Mr Oraigie's remarks regarding taxation and the maintenance, of Reinforcements are reported in another column-)

Mr Anderson urged the Government when bringing down taxation proposals this year to either amend anomalies in the excess profits tax or repeal it and substitute an increased income, tax and graduated land tax. To put the Dominion in a position to meet aftertvar problems he favoured tho extensive development of our infant industries and the reclamation of thousands of acres of first-class lands now lying in non-productive swamps in Southland. He favoured aix o'clock closing and an amusement tax. but condemned the butter-fat levy as an unfair class tax.

Mr Isitt. criticised the Minister ot [Railways for carrying beer on the railways when he refused to carry building material, and also censured the Government for refusing to place before the House tho reports of the Efficiency Board, for no other reason than that the board included the trade amongst non-essential industries nod th>> Government hesitated to acknowledge the fact. Dealing with six o'clock closing, he urged the "Government to give the House a free hand. Let tin' House dispose of it as the. House thought fit. (A report of Mr Isiit's speech appears in another column.)' The House rose at 0.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.H0 p.m. Mr Marnier commended the work of the ■ National Cabinet generally, particularly Sir Joseph Ward, who, since he joined the Cabinet, bad acted like a statesman, patriot and gentleman. The speaker favoured six o'clock clos.iug, and strongly opposed wet. canteens in camps. Though not an extremist, lie was convinced that there was a strong, widespread desire on tho part, of the public for the restriction of the liquor traffic, not only in the interests of the soldiers, but in aid of national efficiency. Concerning taxation, he defended farmers against the accusation that they desired to escape their fair share of the burden. That was not. their desire. They wanted an understandable form of taxation. The excess profits tax lvaa too complicated, and the butter-fat levy was a class tax; hut to say that farmers were unpatriotic was evidence of a biased mind. The fairest method of taxation was to increase the land and income taxes and beer duty. An amusement tax should he also imposed.

Air Glover advocated a scheme by which the Government could aid local hodios to lftake roads in the winterless north, where soldiers might be settled, and struggling farmers might reap the rich reward of a life-timo\s toil. He objected to Wellington being regarded as the hub of the Dominion. Camps, transports, everything were concentrated in Wellington. There was such a place as Auckland, famed in days of old for its; shipbuilding, where transport's could be. fitted up. Ho begged tho Prime Minister to remember thati fact. The shipping merger, cost of living, returned soldiers and pensions for Maori Avar veterans were all dcalti with in discursive fashion by the speaker, who concluded by making a special appeal to the National Cabinet on behalf of old age pensioners. Air Wilkinson referred to problems likely to arise in the Pacific after the war. The vacant spaces in Australia would be a constant menace by offering an inducement to other peoples to come and occupy 'them. Naval defence, shipping lines tfn carry produce, fast mail services and better cable facilities would be urgently required and provision would havo to be made for them. A National stock-taking of men was requisite so that we should know how wo Stand in the matter of reinforcements. He belifved in the excess profits tax as a principle, but the whole system of taxation was too complicated for farmers. He favoured simplification by a substantial increase of the income -itax. He favoured the restriction of the liquor traffic and thought that the Government would be well advised if it bent to the public demand for six o'clock closing. Ho quoted statistics to show that dairy farmers were as patriotic as any other section of the community. They were not making money and could not afford jio pay the butter-fat lexy. • The adjournment of the debate was moved by Mr Jennings and the House rose at 10.33 p.m.