MORE TAXATION.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 257, 29 October 1931, Page 5

MORE TAXATION.

Lottery and Steamer Tickets. BILL PASSES ALL STAGES. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 28. In moving the second reading of the Stamp Duties Amendment Bill in the House to-day, the Hon W. Downie Steward said it gave effect to the tax on lottery tickets and on overseas passenger tickets. He did not ‘think its provisions would have to be elaborated to any extent if the Minister of Internal Affairs added a condition to the granting of a permit that the promoters should put down a bond to cover the estimated amount of duty payable. Mr M’Combs (Labour, Lyttelton), mentioning several methods in which he thought payment of the tax? on overseas passenger tickets could be evaded, said it would be possible for a person about to visit England to book only as far as Australia, and thus avoid a substantial portion of the tax. Mr Stewart pointed out that the tax had been proposed in the Budget 3f his predecessor. He did not suggest that the tax on passengers’ tickets was a scientific one, but it was in operation in various countries. He agreed that there were methods of evading the tax, but he did not know how they could get over that difficulty. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition: What about the passenger who flies to Australia? Mr Stewart: He ought to get a subsidy, not a tax. The Bill was put through all its stages and passed. The House agreed to amendments made by the Legislative Council to the Rural Intermediate Credit Amendment Bill. Land Transfer Register. The Land Transfer (Hawke’s Bay) Bill, which authorises making a new land transfer register for Hawke’s Bay to replace the one destroyed by fire following the earthquake, was put through its remaining stages and passed.