THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1568, 11 October 1912, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

THE DEFENCE BILL,

The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) asked tho. Minister in charge of the Defence Bill whether he would defer the second reading of tho Bill, set down for that day, in order that members should havo sufficient time to digest the measure. The Hon. J. ALLEN (Minister for Defence) thought the second reading might be taken at once, and plenty of time could be left for consideration of the Bill before it went into committee.

The-Hon. W. P. MASSEY (Prime Minister) said ho thought the-suggestion of the Minister for Defence was an excellent one. He (Mr. Massey) hoped to move tho second reading of the Land Bill on Tuesday,'and the Defence Bill would probably come up' for consideration -in committee on 'Wednesday.

~ .EAST COAST RAILWAY, SEVERAL GRIEVANCES. Mr. J. -V. BROWN (Napier) gave notice to:.mov'e:,"That, in view, of the satisfactory results that have accrued both to tho worker and to the country from' tho co-operative system' of,,' railway construction, and the urgent necessity that,exists for opening up further land for • settlement by vigorously continuing the construction of railways through otherwise inaccessible country suitable for pastoral and agricultural occupation, the action of tho Government in suddenly discharging a large number of co-operative workers from the existing railway construction works calls for the censure of this House." " Mr. H. POLAND (Ohinemuri) asked tho Minister for Public Works whether it was true, as had been reported to him, that it was the intention of the Gbvernment to cease work" on the Waihi-Tauranga section of tho East Coast railway. He believed that this information'had emanated from the overseer at present on tho works. Ho had also been informed by a privato citizen that this was being done to assist the Waihi mining companies to get men for their works.

An Emphatic Denial.. "• '' The Hon. W. FRASER (Minister for Public Works) said it was rather amusing how just before the Public Works Statement came down a lot of members wanted to know what was in it- The Public Works Statement would contain information as to what tho Government would do about this and every other railway, and it would almost certainly bo down next week. In tho meantime, he refused to deliver the Public Works Statement piecemeal, and no Minister could be expected to answer such a question as that put by the member for Ohiuemiiri. Mr. Pnvno: The question is: Are yon deliberately helping the Waihi mineowners? Mr. Fraser said ho wished to give tho Statement that men were being put off the works to help the Waihi mineowners nn'emphatic denial. The Hon. R. M'KENZIE (Motueka) said the answer given 'by tho Minister would not satisfy workers who were being dismissed from co-operative works all over New Zealand. He did not expect the Minister to declare his public wnrks policy, but people were gelling anxious as to what it really was. Were men b°ing dismissed from works ■-'n order to jtUit jie_laliojitjaaiMi Ss. j&si jss_

Primo Minister whether Mr. Brown's motion would be treated as a want of confidence motion. The Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) said that if tho motion of the member for Napier were approved by tho Leader of tho Opposition, ho (Mr. Massey) would have no objection to treating it as a no-confidence motion. Glsborne-Motu Section. Sir J. CARROLL (Clisbornc) aslced the Minister for .Public Works whether he would expedite work on the GisbomeMotu section of tho East Coast line. If the ballasting was to go ahead with any dispatch a stronger engine was very much required. It was a matter of great importance that the work should not be delayed. The Hon. W. FEASER (Minister for Public Works) said tho question of providing a heavier engine for the construction works on the Gisborne-Motu line was a matter that had been under his notice for some time, and he had endeavoured to "do the best possible. The Public Works Department did not keep a stock of engines, and the only engine on tho works was a light engine, which could not draw heavy loads over the grades on tho line. If the Public Works Department had another heavier engine the work could certainly be dono vcrv much more expeditiously than at present. The Railway Department had been asked to supply another engine, but unfortunately the Itnilway Department was also so "short of engines that they could not spare one for the works at Gisborne. lie had arranged with the Minister for Railways to have .ballast taken a distance up tho unopened line by. the Eailway Department's heavy engine, and the light engine would havo to do tho rest. Tho Railway Department hoped to have a spare engine at tho end of the year. The real fact of the matter was that the settlers in the district had a quito excusable desire to use the line for goods traffic, and they wanted the engine to make that possible. The Public Works Department could not get an engine- that was strong enough for the work required. The Hon. E, M'KENZIE (Motueka) asked whether any change had been made from the system in- vogue during Ins administration. ' ' The Hon. W. PHASER said that when he took offico ho found a light engine onlv on the line, and he had made no change whatever in tho method of working. It was because the light engine could not draw a heavy load of trucks over the line that ho had made an arrangement to have ballast carried some distance by the Eailway Department's engine.

Six-Day Week. Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn).asked tho Prime Minister whether he would bring down this session a six-days-a-wcek Bill for hotel employees if ho undertook to obtain the signatures of a majority of members of the House to a petition, or to" an undertaking not to oppose the Bill. . '~",,..' The Hon. W. F. MASSEY (I'nme Minister) suggested that the honourable member should give notice of his motion. Mr. Payne accordingly did so. Mr. J. BOLLARD v Eden) drew the attention of Mr. Speaker to-the- reprehensible practice that was growing, up m the House of asking verbal questions. He understood that only questions of urgency could be asked verbally. . ~Mr. J. V. BROWN (Napier) gave notice to introduce the Co-operative , Workers Bill. " MONDAY SITTINGS. The Hon. W. P. MASSEY (Prinie.Ministor) moved that on and after' Monday, October 14, and for the remainder of the session, this House do meet on Mondays,' at 7.30 . p.'m:; for the transaction of' Government business only. He.said that members would realise, that the period of the session had'arrived when Mondays should bo taken for Government business. Next Monday would be taken for local Bills. He intended, ho said, to make a statement next Tuesday as to the business tho Government would tako before the end of the session. NATIVE LAND LAW. When tho House resumed at 7.30 p.ra., the Native Land Amendment Bill was read a second time pro forma, nnd jrfciTcd to the Native Affairs Committee. THE TAXING BILL. THIRD READING CARRIED. The Hon. Jas. ALLEN moved the third reading, of the Land-tax and Income-tax Bill. Mr. H. G. ELL (Christchurch South) complained that necessary remissions of Customs taxation, more liberal pensions, nnd humanitarian legislation in various directions are shut out because of a lack of ways arid means. Tho reduction of the- mortgage tax had put ,£IO,OOO or i! 50,000 into the pockets of the "moneybags" of the country. This' tax'should be raised to tho old rate of Id. in tho £. It would hurt nobody. An increment tux on land values should be imposed. Revenue should be obtained lroni tho huge profits that were made in turning over land. / Mr. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) said that tho collection of unearned increment by private individuals was legalised robbery. Ho suggested a tax ofi sixpence in the pound on incomes up to .£4OO and Id. per pound for every subsequent £Wto of income. Mr. G. LATJRENSON (Lyttelton) pointed out, in reference to certain of Mr. Payne's proposals, that an investor sometimes reaped ho profit from an investment, so that a Teturn obtained by him from a subsequent investment might havo to be divided by half in order to arrive at the true position. At the samo time, the income tax was much lighter here than in Great Britain, while workers in this country paid larger sums in Customs taxation. • This taxation should be remitted, and the loss of revenue made good by graduating tho -tax on big incomes. Local industries must, of course, be protected. Direct taxation was the best form of taxation. The Hon. JAS. ALLEN said that the Bill had not been introduced with a view to increasing taxation. Ho would be well pleased if revenue from • the graduated •land tax declined. This would show that it was serving its intended purpose by inducing owners of lnrge estates to cut them up for settlement. An increment tax on land values would be unfair unless accompanied by an increment tax in large commercial institutions and banks. He agreed to a great extent that direct taxation was the ideal form of taxation. The Government had announced its intention of dealing with the income tax next session and he was pretty confident that it would deal with it, on tho lines of graduation. The third reading was agreed to on the voices.

.LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BILL. PASSED BY THE HOUSE. Tho Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) moved the third reading of tho Legislative Council Bill. : Sir. 0. WITTY (Riccarton) put on record what-Mr. Massey had said about the Legislative Council in his speech at Winton, in December last. A Government member: You have read this five or six times before. Mr. Witty said that at Winton Mr. Massey had'stated that*men- showing independence had been shut out of tho Council. Conld ho name any ono who had been so shut out? Mr. Massey: The Hon. John Mncgregor. Mr. Witty said that tho Government had disappointed him by failing to bring down a Bill to give effect to tho resolutions recently affirmed by the House: Ho continued to read a report of the Prime Minister's speech at Winton and presently was told by Mr. Buchanan: "That is the best speech you have mndo for a long time!" The PTMME MINISTER said thnt if the hon. gentleman had thought that a Bill would be brought down to give effect to the resolutions recently affirmed by the House he was the only man in Parliament who had thought so, for tho very good reason that tho Bill had been brought down before the resolutions wore introduced. To an .interjection by Mr. Witty, Mr. Massey replied that nothing would have pleased him and his imvl.y better than the passing of tho Legislative Council Elections Bill by Hie Upper Hon*.-. He predicted that the Bill would be passed before the present Parliament c'iimo to nn end. Mr. Tius'ell; I think it i? very probable. _ J^h&jiwMiUiaiaaUh^^

Mr. Massey continued that Mr. Witty hud challenged his statement that men had been excluded from tho Council for exhibiting independence. Mr. "Witty. .Not ninny. Mr. Massey: The lion, gontleman admits thnt there- were some. He went on to mention men who had been excluded for exhibiting independence. Had not tho Hon. John Macgregor been so excluded? .An Opposition member: Ho is supporting your party now. Mi. Massey: It was on account of his sympathy with nur pnrty thnt he was dropped out. He went on to name tho Hon. Lee Smith, the Hon. J. 11. Twomey, the Hon. W. M'Cullough, and the Hon. l'J. Richardson as men who had suffered exclusion on account of their independence Opposition interjectors indicated dissent as each name was mentioned. The third reading was agreed to on tho voices.