IN A FIX.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 9

IN A FIX.

MR. CRAIGIE AND THE LAND TAX. AN INEFFECTUAL AMENDMENT. Tho member for'Timnrn (Mr. J. Crnigio) found himself in a soiuuwlinl awkward fix last night. .Moving lo increase the graduated land (ax, he i'numl that his action, under the forms of tho House,

would have a directly contrary eft'ect. Tin; Standing Orders of ihe House pennit of a private iiiember moving lo reduce taxatjnu, but not to iiicvenic it. The difficulties of the member for Timani coimiH'nc;d when he moved to omit words from a clause in order to substitute others. He was then informed that if the first amendment were carried he would have to move ii reduction 'instead of mi increase. Ministers oml'C-iavernhicnt members evidently extracted. some goud-natiiral amusement from Mr. Craigi'e's predico■niont, and it was not until he hud bvcii subjected to n 'number of more or less jocular suggestions that he was permitted to oscapotvoil'i it.'' '" Tho incident arose when tho Innd and Income Assessment Amendment Bill was being considered in Committee. Sir. Craigie moved an amendment lo Clause--38, which provides for an iueroafl! ol 2o pw cent.' in ll'c ginduated laud tax on all Innds oilier tluih business pibmifes of iiii unimproved value 'of .CIO.IIOI) or more. Tho ninendmeiit provided that the tax should be increased-by 25 per c'viit. for-the first two years After the passage of the Bill, l.j- -33 1-Hrd per cent, for the next two ; vMir3, iihd by 50 per cent, for the next two years; tliercaiter for every alternate year tho increase to bo at ii rate exceed-, ing by 25, per. cent, tho.'rate of the last preceding increase. . ■ . Mr. CVuigfo said tliiit he cbhsidored Iho clause whicli lie proposed, to amend Iho most important -in the .Bill, 110- gave lh« UoveMiment el'edit for putting 25 per cent, cm to the graduated Kind tax. on estates of £30,000'-or -oVel , , but did not think that'this .proposal Vent quite for enough. . ■ ■ ■ . The chairman then tintibuncod the. customary pYc-limiiinry motion, 1-hiit certain words ".stnnd part of Ihe motion." Tho Hon.. itninos Alll'ii, who was in charge of the Bill, snid that he 'wanted the cuihlnitte'e to I'liidM'jtnnd what it was doing, If the 'reference to hvtmry-Gvo per cent, wpre cut out it would be necessary to put in n-smaller peiceiitage. A propbsnl to incrense the taxation could only be intVodiiced bv Uovernor's Message.Jfh Wittv: Won't you do it?

The' , .Ministw said 'Unit he would not. Mr. Oaigie (to the chairman): Do you rill*, it but of onler f

The Minister: I don't thiiik it should bn withdrawn.

The Chairman said that tho motion was hot ollt of order nt Uiat stage. An nniend"sicnt to increase taxation would be out nt ordor; '. - • .

Mr. Craigie: I would advise the Goveriiuinit to.mnre in that direction. 1 think it is the right thing to <10. (Laughter.) 'i'he 'Minister agnin saiil that he objected ib the amendment being withdrawn. Mr. G. W. Kussell (Avon) contended that the whole amendment should be '•iiled out bf order. It ihnsl stand or fall ns a Whole. There was nothing to authorise ihe first few words of the amendment, being .put, in order to dei'eaV the nim of the nnimber prbnosinc it. It might suit the- book of tho Minister to put the member I'or Timaru in a false position, but the Minister would have been nctinp in aceordaiicc with the dignity of his oflico if he lmd objected to the amendment oh the ground that a private mombor could nol move to increase tnxatibn.

The Prime Minister contended that the Gonimitlw? and its-chairman had nothing to doivith till? intentions of tho member fir Tiiiiani. The proposal wns to strike out the riforeaco to 2J per cent., and tho Soiife had nothing to do with anything oho at that moment than the amendment to strike out 25 per cent. The member for Timaru must stand by his ainendihent, and tiie Houfp must be given an opportunity of snyiui; whether the 25 p?r CMit. provision should be strnck out or not. If it were rtrnck out the hon. member must propose a smaller increase: The Hou.'D. Bnddo (Kaiapoi) said hr. could not vot« for the amendment," "but the rcEmber for Tiaiara should not be put into a position he had not contemplated vhen he moved it.

Mr. G. Witty (EiccartonA said the pTime MißisterVas hot plapn;; the gam-.; h? wa> taking in an.inncceut man. Ha (Mr. submitted that the clau?e was n bxing clause, and that the amendment to incrreje could not be put by ths rc?T.lj?7 for Timaru.

Mr. J. Craisw'/Timorn} said he ha-l moved liis amendment with the b??t posfib'e infeiitr-ons. He rccosnss?d tli'.tt the JioMin? Cj estate; was nn evil, avU sn -evii which nec3;d radicsl cure. He esli?d. however, to. withdraw his am?ndin?Di.

Tie Ct?irnißn said that had his attention b=?E Hrawh to the e-fiect of the siD?C(iin?nt as bsing an ?.meadment to increase tssotion he must have rukd it o-jt of crder.

31* put the qtJSition to the House as to tic member shoii'd be allowed to witb<3row ih« amer.dmc-nt, aDd the permission iras t-ranttd.

Th* sacadnienl was thert-for? \rithdrawn.