“CARRY ON”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 200, 23 August 1929, Page 7

“CARRY ON”

AMENDMENT LOST VICTORY FOR UNITEDS majority of twenty foub (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. Debate on tho motion of no confidence moved by the Leader of the Opposition (Rt. Hon. J. G, Coates) was resumed in the House of Representatives last night. Mr D'avid Jones (Mid-Canterbury) said Sir Joseph Ward had explained why ho had included £156,000 interest on loan conversions in last year’s accounts, but the fact remained that that sum having been paid in last year, had not to be paid in this year. Mr Jones repeated his statement that the deficit was paid out of the Consolidated Fund, and was not carried on. Sir Joseph Ward: You don’t know what you are talking about. Mr Jones insisted that his view was correct. The Prime Minister had stated the revenue for the first quarter was an unreliable guide to the year’s revenue, but surely, it could be compared with the figures for the first quarter of the previous year. Sir Joseph had further stated that even if revenue was maintained its increase it would still have been short of expenditure by £600,000. Mr Jones said that if his contention that the deficit was not carried on was correct there would remain a deficit of £22,000, but the Prime Minister’s own figures showed that he would raise additional revenue amounting to £325,000 without any extra taxation. He would, therefore, be able to balance his accounts and have a surplus without his new taxation proposals. Mr Jones contended it would be as justifiable to take profits from the Post Office as it was to take profits from the Public Trust and to raid the Alain Highways account. The Leader of the Opposition had suggested that Sir Joseph Ward should, “while out raiding,” take a portion of tho profits from the Post Office.

Mr Jones said that any suggestion that the penal tax should be imposed before there had first been a propei classification of land amounted, ii some cases to nothing short of straight out confiscation. He feared that th< Government’s decision had been reach cd without that judgment and consideration to which the farmers of New Zealand were entitled. It was men who handled fairty large areas, and put their sons on land who had built agricultural life of New Zealand and under the new condition, he would hane to send his boys away while he subdivided land. In conclusion, he said the super-tax and mortgage exemption proposals would deal a serious blow, not only to the large landowners, but to the farmers of the Dominion as a whole.

Air J. AlcCombes (Lyttelton) pointed out that the mortgage exemptioi which it was proposed to reduce from £lO,OOO to £5,000 had stood at th« former figure for only the last foul years. From 1920 to 1924 it had been £4OOO and from 1917 to 1920 £l5OO. If during those years, the amount of mortgage exemption had not hreffught dire disaster, why should it do so now) The speaker then read the amendment and a division was called for. The division resulted as follows:

For the amendment (24). —Ansel) Bitchener, Campbell, Coates, Dickie Field, Hall, Harris, Hcnare, H. Hol land, Hunter, Jones, Kyle, Linklater, Lysnar, MacMillan, Massey, Nash, Samuel, Stewart* Sykes, Waite, Williams and Young. Against the amendment (48). —Armstrong, Atmore, Barnard, Black, Bodkin, Broadfoot, Carr, Chapman, Clinkard, Cobbe, De la Perelle, Donald, Fletcher, Forbes, Hawke, Healy, Hogan, H. E. Holland, Howard Jenkins, Jordan, Langstone, Lye, McGombs, McDonald, MdDougall* McKeen, Aiacpherson, Alakitanara* Martin, Alason, Afunns, Alunro, Afufdoch, O’Brien, Parry, Polson, Ransom, Rushworth, Savage, Smith, Stallworthy, Sullivan, Taverner, Veitch, Ward, Wilford, Wilkinson

Pairs: For the amendment. —Btirnett, Wright* Pomare. Against the amendment. Fraser, Semple, Ngata. The Hon. A. J. Stallworthy moved the adjournment of the debate. Mr Coates pointed out that it was only 9.30 p.m. and, under Standing Orders, the House would normally sit till 10.3 C. Sir Joseph Ward stated that it waj customary to adjourn the House aftoi a want of confidence vote.

Voices: We are wasting too mKici time. Let’s get on with the work. The debate was adjourned and th< House lose at 9.42 p.m.