PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12088, 17 August 1917, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

jJAJjridged from Press Association.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 'I Thuhsdat, August 18. 'AFTERNOON SITTING. The Council met at, 2.30 p.m. INSCRIBED STOCK. The second reading of the New Zealand Inscribed Stock Bill was moved by Sir Francis Bell, who said he intended to ask the Council to refer the Bill to the Statutes Revision Committee. The Hon 0. Samuel, reviewing the measure, said that he had interviewed the head of one of the banks and he had stated that the securities proposed in the Bill were, such that the banks would be reluctant to accept some of them. After discussion it was decided that :ho- Bill should be referred to the committee, as proposed. The Council adjourned at 3.25 p.m. until the following day. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, August 16. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 'J.3O p.m. PUBLIC SERVICE. The Hon G. W. Russell laid on the table the fifth annual report of the Public Service Commissioners. COST OF LIVING. The Prime Minister moved that the usnios of the Hon W. D. S. Mac Donald \l<.<:m-s Ell and Wrisht should be added In"the Cost of Living Committee. After a discussion, which is reported in'another column, the motion was pa>sed. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. FINANCIAL DEBATE. 'Hie debate on the Budget was returned by Mr Statham, who said the NationaTCabinct bad suffered to some extent from want of an active Opposition and consequent criticism. He proposed to make amends for this by criticising the Government. One of bis chief complaints was that, they were too slow to grasp opportunities. As ;, result, they found in the. Budget measures which members bad been advocating for some considerable time, such as ihe amusement tax. On the other hand they sometimes .showed a firmness which amounted to stubbornness, as .-u-idonwd by the refusal of the Minister iii Hailways to restore suburban trains, j the withdrawal of which was unwise and unwarranted. Ho recognised that finance must be founded on a win-tho-wiir basis, but ho was afraid that a ! ereat deal of our new taxation would j have the effect of driving away capital, ■while the exemption of war loan in- j terest from income tax would have the ] effect in the future of casting the. whole I of the burden on those not fortunate /•nough to hold war loan bonds. In his opinion tho only hope for the connTry was to intensely develop its productiveness, but upon thiajquestion the number of men .sent to the front had an important bearing. In this connection he thought the zeal of the. Minister of Defence has outrun his discretion. To promote production ho advocated more liberal tenure of two million acres of National Endowment. which al present only brought in £32,30-1 per amueoa. Much might he done in ei shnihafdirociion on North Auckland lands, where enormous potentialities were awaiting development. He did not agree with the Minister nf Finance who declined to put, a duty on motortars. In like manner he was disappointed that a stiff duty was not ptif, in spirits and beer. The Government. was only playing wilh the question, and in the end it would fall between two stools. It pleased neither party. "Where an entertainment was of an • '(ldeational ebaracfer, .such as choral societies, bo hoped the amusement tax j would not. apply, while so' far as j neonie fax was concerned he ' : bought, a single nl ; in should pay i more than a man with a, family, i He gave the Government: credit, for its | promise to increase pensions, hut \U well have done it: ] a st. year, though better late than never. .Mr Brown opposed the amusement and tea taxes, and said that it was better to raise the money such imposts, would bring in by an additional duty on beer and spirits. He complained that i he Minister of Defence did not tako the House into his confidence, hut acted as an autocrat. New Zealand was sending moro reinforcements than its population warranted. He eonTended that wo should cry a halt and let America fill the gap, since we had Von fighting for three years as much ,n America's interests as in our own. Dr Newman said the greatest weakness of the National Cabinet was its limiditv and vacillation. What was wanted was a policy. There was no consistency in the Government. Ono day reinforcements are to lie kept, up 10 full strength, the next day they are to he reduced. One day we are going to have a profits tax, the next day it is repealed. This .sort of vacillation destroyed confidence. This country was lbouf to feel a. financial pinch. So far ivc h.-ir] not felt it, but unless the war . ndod soon stringency quickly would be apparent. Unfortunately there, was no sign of the war ending, not even in 1018. hut so far the Government never ha/1 raised its voice in favour of rennomy. H e deprecated constant ; •ha.nges in forms of taxation. Better have settled forms and increase them FN necessity arose, rather than change ; them if the results are not satisfactory. The butter tax was an unjus- ■ finable and unconstitutional inter- [ lerence with the rights of Parliament. ' No taxation should be raised except by '■ vote of Parliament, and h 0 hoped the i iJovernment would not attempt tho ex- ] neriment again. He favoured a dif- i rerential rate on earned and unearned j incomes, and strongly opposed the tea tax while every luxury was let off so , lightly. Mr Glover generally supported the ■ proposals in the Budget, but stronp-lv objected to the tax on tea, and indi- ' ."tited that he would as strongly op peso any proposal to send to the front ; soys of nineteen. ' On the motion of Mr Parr, the debate was adjourned, and the House rose at 10.30 p.m. t