BRITISH POLITICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 142, 18 June 1931, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS

LAND TAX AMENDMENT •IBERALS SAVE GOVERNMENT LONDON, June 16. Pho Liberals have acceptably redraftthe land tax amendment and a Govament defeat has been averted. SURPRISE FOR MEMBERS DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN’S RULING [British Official Wireless. Received June 17, 10.55 a.m. RUGBY, June 16. rhe anticipated political crisis, which was due to arrive to-night when the House of Commons vote was taken on the Liberals’ land tax amendment to the clause in the Finance Bill, came to an unexpected end this afternoon, when the House, having gone into committee, reached Clause 20 and a Liberal member rose to move the much-discussed amendment. The deputy-chairman, Mr Dunnico, ruled it out of order, and said that it should have been put forward on an earlier clause which had already been dealt with. This development came as a complete surprise to all members, w’ho after some discussion, passed on to other business, the Liberals intimating that they would introduce the amendment later as a new clause, a procedure which the chairman intimated that he would consider in order, although there is a possibility that the Parliamentary guillotine will fall before it is ever reached. In any case a settlement of the point at issue was reached shortly before the House met in a further conference between the Liberal leaders and members of the Government. The Prime Minister a little later informed members of the Parliamentary Labour Party that the Liberals had redrafted their amendment in a form which, subject to reconsideration of certain details, the Government could ac cept. LAND TAX SCHEME SMASHED REDUCED REVENUE YIELD Received June 17, 11.3'5 p.m. LONDON, June 17. The Daily Express’ lobby correspondent regards the land tax scheme as smashed. He say* that instead of getting £6,000,000, it is doubtful whether it will now yield £500,000. It is learned, however, that Mr Snowden, after a conference with the Treasury officials, was satisfied that he could fake a chance by the acceptance of the modified Liberal viewpoint. In the meantime Mr Lloyd George professes himself to be satisfied, though nothing has yet been shown on paper.