LAND-AND INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 5

LAND-AND INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT INQUIRY.

:.•"..- ,/. THE JUDGES' EBEOKE. ■':■■■ ;'r STATEMENT IN THE vj\; .''.""■'• ".;'■ ,'■'■;',;': sentatives.; : j , '- V^- V; '^:s>■ . In reply to Mr. Wright,- th« Piime. ': stated 'in , the- House of Eopresentotiros -last : ,v:; night' that Mr. Heyes, head of vtho Land and!.' : :; Incomo Tax/Depaitmont, had not Iwen ene-f ; pendod, but-given; leave of,absonc6ifor:*£htee',:".', months. ' "■■■;•■: '•;■.■:■'■■'.'-.".- ~■:'.^'■i-.'.-J'-V"■'■)■'.■•';;■' 1 Mr. .Wright:-Is his4eaw»-of-abscnceaniifua'r. '.>'r payF J '' ■•;■■••■;.■■■-■■:■'■;■■■ '.-. ''.■■'.. : 'iy :-•/ ■:. :"^v' : The Prinie: Minister: Yes, pay.. -1 .i. ,:■ Mt. Wright said thai, though it inighfc-tip. ;:»;-s pear that' Mr. Hoyes was tak&g a. holiday.vifcjv;;',' seemed to. him that;he -was-.virtuallyr su*,- >/..: pended. Ho would mention' somo: Btories that, ' ,'w were current in Wellington about the Depart-, ■- 'J ment, -Ho did not know 'whether thevswew. , . tiup or not,.but/in the'interest of .the-De-'V:'j; parttuent and; the Government th« : judges' ro- '■;:; port should !bo' published: and- tho true position;; '? '* made known.' It .was stated, ..in :connoction^i ''■)?£, with tho Advances to Sottlers Depattment, that.' 1 ;;'" loans ■ had-, been granted-, to ■ several■: officoraVofJ,"■-;■■•-': 'tho.Bepartme'nt. That -was no crime; 5 : pfficors ' ; ;.! in the Department had >'■ perfect (tight to , get/.;;■■■:■,' Joans, ' but' it' was'' stated that •one'/- loan' in/.-:',-;..£v particular;: had granted :on;'a which had been purchased at a.hign prioe: ! !.: v; by. ,^' .bfficer. In ; the(Department. The'; TalneV.'i -iyi placed on it was an exceedingly high.one, sail: : :;'i tb'e. Department lent .money on, that property,";,).? owned by an officer in;the Department; abaost'. I >;■ up to,,the .value that waß paid for it:origin.i iyf all j:. ■ That l : was , .' a very, Bcnous- things ; and .• in»''" : ■ : : i , interest -of the Department as a whole.they, ? ■■' .jnd^' , - , rtpoit:.'6i»iild.: l &,;laid; , on;.:t]» i v.tAle'i.y- i ';i;;i so that people would-know if it was mifoundediv,;; C; It was futther said that, the , .judges" only'-in-'/ ,-.? quii'edinto a'section of "the'-whole ;.;,(• that' tliey"'did not; rignt'.i; v-ji through' the Department, from- beginning;, to ~ v endV He did not know : whether it.-was-trus;;': ! H or not, , butlie-urgod'that!the' judges'. icpori ; should: be tabled, .with..the! omission of ; per-•■:;'&.• sonal' references, aid' theso"matters' cleared' UpV,:;.:;'; /.Thel Prime'.Minister said :that the. coorse:-;;;-.v which'; the-.Government 'had •■;taken iwas ; -one;.';;;':::; which, iiiiy ; fair-minded' person'• wduld epy■ waei; -J::. tho only course-it could take. :! ':A. full-jnquiry.,,. ,;". v, would be '■ held• into ■ anything .and.'everything' '■■:>?v. .in the absence of:the gentleman against whom./-. the- charges were made.: Ae.Jlr.TWright had;:j-?V:,(.; referred to a report regarding, the:Advanoe«; to ;: ■ ,-i Settlers Department and a loan;.to an officer on a certain proportyj ho might say/that lioaVdtthat report,. and had' inquired into'it. c ! .;''. : ;: On' the information furnishbd/to him,he found;/t '■;■':; 'jthfit^th'e.adva-noo.was .£4oo.below.the'purchase?' \;.; price f 'of' the property, , so 'that <Hn 'thi4 uistepo* j ;'■.- v: Rumour had oeen wrong, as she was so often.■;.;,'.' .Tho'properlyrefbrred to had since been paid-.;,.;;, off, and the full amount previously advanced ,:O ,uppn it had been .advanced by/another .institu-;/,'.; ;i; tion. ..The'.duty, of -Ministers' r .w"asM;o;see that , ,.,..;,. the country 'was not put-into:.the po6ition' ; :offi./,::; making any loss in'rogard to'any dfficer'or any->.;V': one .else connected * with .their Departments. >i::■;; : There wee no loss v of any kiad made by-that:;:;./ Department connected with' any officer; ..There. ■:,;;<; wero ' some :ma gu a nimbus people,' "who, : - when >;//;■', they imagined a lrian"'was "down" or in trouble,,';:.:.;-. Hried to kick him. That was being.'done■m't.H«,V.:..'.',-;, ; j House now,,/ Ho. would not bo:a party to,do-.f^,;. , ;;; ing a.ivrbng"tliing to'anydno'during tho inves-v<: , tigations , which were going on, and whenlYeroi' Court;: cases ponding; 1 which: might ' be/V ;',;.■ started: any day,-Bβ: was'.'not trying' to'shield'S;; , ? anyone; tho Government-had no one to. shiold, /:-;,,';i The Government was ready at tho'proper..time r'J/'i to do all in Hs'power, v Tho judgos , -roport coal<i-;'.0.'.y5 not by anyone'be laid,.pn:. : the table of -the;-v;»;.,; House,;because it-referred ; to r ;private' ! 'affairs ■['?.'■■':s and individuals -by; name l and .amount, v The ; vP;V!y judges need not4iave made their investigatioii.,.','':j a "private"''■one,.- but''they, realised 'that:-tHer*,'-;';:'■■ were matters which were sacred. -~ /-.: ,: :■;■;■■-' :\'' : Mr.. Hcrdmaii:'Would 1 you allow the|:Leadet '■>.'.{M of the Opposition: to .see the report? ",./// >•'■. -;;VD ■Sir 'Joseph Ward: No.. The the, f\" Opposition has:no right to see the taxatioi.'■:,.'; paid. by theVpeople of -this country., / '"';■•■: '\\ '■'?*<* Mr. Herdman: He/does:not want'to Referencesto this'inatter.wiU/also befonne '■/.'V in: tho : main, report. ; ,■'.' : .•■■';■,•■ :: .:.- '.•;:■;-'•-/v:-;» .■■./l--':^