HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17124, 27 October 1917, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m.

CONCERNING WHEAT

Replying to Mr Lee, the Hon. MacDonald said a conference would be called in Ghristchurch at an early date to consider the question of 1917<18-19 wheat. He had drafted a circular for submission to the Cabinet, and when [he went to Christchurch to the conference he hoped to have with him a hill statement of the Government policy on the matter. Compulsion in growing wheat had not been satisfactory anywhere. Mr Austey asked the Minister if the Government were prepared to compel, people having small areas of land to grow vegetables. Onions were now at a prohibitive price. The Hon. Mac Donald said the Government had never considered the question of compulsion in any form. It always considered that if a sufficient price was offered that would be j sufficient inducement to gro\f foodstuffs. The Government had suggested to the people having small areas of land available, the advisability of growing vegetables. Replying to Mr Nosworthy, the Hon. Mac Donald said he had agreed to pay farmers 5s lOd f.o.b. for next season's wheat. He would carry out' his part of the bargain. There would be no side-tracking, no evasions, but if farmers desired to be paid on trucks that could be done with a proportionate reduction in price. Expeditionary forces amendment bill. Replying to the Hon. Rhodes, the Minister for Defence said the amendment passed last night in the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill exempting teachers would have a widereaching effects. It would certainly exempt all teachers not called up, as well as all those who become twenty years of age, and who have not come into the Reserve at all. He was not sure that it would exempt those in camp and in gaol as conscientious objectors—on that point he would have to get legal opinion—but- no doubt the amendment was very far-reaching. NO RELIEF. Replying to Mr Wilkinson, Sir Jas^ Allen said there was no prospect of relieving the men in Egypt on furlough. That question had been already decided. CLERGYMEN IN GAOL. i Replying to Dr Newman, Sir James Allen said he could not say what-would be the position of clergymen of the Testimony of Jesus now in prison as conscientious objectors, if the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill became law, as passed by the House. That would probably be for the Military Service Boards or someone else to decide. SLOT TELEPHONE WORK. gßeplying to Mr Payne, Sir Joseph AVard said, it was not practicable to ciiacge ''uniform rates of a penny on our slot telephone lines, as the cost of the line had to be considered, and often good-paying lines had to assist poorpaying lines. THE MEAT TRUST. Replying to Mr 'Payne, the Premier said he would submit to the Cabinet the question of introducing legislation, to deal with the Meat Trust this session, but his present impression was that the Government had all the legislative powers required. Sir Joseph Ward said that during the debate on the Meat Trust report ifc was stated by one member that certain meat companies trading in New Zealand were not paying taxation proportionate to the capital invested. He submitted the matter to the Commissioner of Taxes, and he reported that some of these companies had been only recently formed. It was premature to say they were not paying proper taxation. They were being taxed on the basis uniformly applied to all such companies—that was, on the income earned iji the Dominion. The question of capital invested on dividends earned did not come into the question at all. The only thing affected by capital invested was the license fee, and the Commissioner had ample power to deal with any attempt on the part of companies to evade taxation.

_ The remainder of the afternoon sitting was taken up in discussing the report of the Petitions Committee.'

The House rose at 5.30