BRITISH REVENUE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1827, 13 August 1913, Page 7

BRITISH REVENUE BILL.

AND FARM LAND VALUATIONS. Br Telceraph—Prate Association—Copyright London, August 11. In the House of Commons, Mr. J. Dundas White (Liberal member for Glasgow, Tradeston Division) moved to report progress on the Revenue Bill in order to elicit the Government's intentions regarding tho agricultural land valuation clause. Mr. Lloyd-George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) accepted the motion in order to givo members timo for reflection. Ho declared that if treated as contentious it would be impossible to pass tho Bill (which, it was previously reported, was likely to be withdrawn, owing to tho extreme landtaxers' objections). (Rec. August 12, 11.40 p.m.) The House of Commons has passed the Finance Bill through its Committee stage. Viscount Wolmcr's motion to reduce tho duty on tea by 2d. in favour of the. British-grown product was-rejected by 192 votes to 70. Mr. Dundas White asked whether it was intended to pass Clause fl of the Revenue Bill, under which, in tho valuation of agricultural land, no deductions were allowed for improvements made upwards of 30 years before 1909. Mr. Austen Chamberlain; described the clause as a bribo to tho "Land Values Group." Subsequently, Mr. Lloyd-Georgo's negotiations with the Opposition being rcsulticss, the latter intimated that it was willing to pass tho clause if amended in view of fixing the unimproved value of agriculural land without a timo limit. Tho "Land Values Group," however, insists oil a time limit, and threaten amendments to prevent the Bill from proceeding.