THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1863, 24 September 1913, Page 4

THE HOUSE.

The Houso of Representatiyes met at 2.30 p.nr. - THE AUCKLAND EXHIBITION. Mr. J. BOLLARD (Eden) asked the Prime Minister whether, in tho event of tho session not closing before the opening of tho Auckland Exhibition, he' intended that Ministers and members of Parliament should be enabled to attend tho Exhibition. Sir J. Ward: What is the dat-o? Mr. Bollard: December 1. Tho Prime Minister: If ; tho session has not como to an end by December 1, I shall have great pleasure in asking Parliament to adjourn for a week.

RIPA ISLAND. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) asked the Minister of Defence, without notice, if ho -had received any complaint from Ripa Island about tho quality of tho water being supplied to tho occupants.. , Tho Hon. J. ALLEN stated that he liad received such a complaint, and was having inquiries made, but had not yet received the result thereof. Bt)AT HARBOURS. Mr. T. M. AVILFORD (Hutt) gave notice to move, when tho Municipal Corporations Bill is being considered in Committee, the following new clause:—"A council, out of its gerferal fund, may contribute to any harbour board for tho construction or maintenance of any boat haven which would in' its opinion be beneficial to tho inhabitants of the borough." COOK ISLANDS REPORT. Tho Hon. Dr. Pomaro presented tho report on tho Cook and other Islands. Sir Joseph Ward: Is this tho report we wero. looking for a few days ago P • Dr. Pomare: You found it I 'Sir J. :Ward: How long lias it been in tho hon. gentleman's possession? Dr. Pomare: About five minutes. Sir J.'Ward: Oh, no, pardon mol You must bo thinking about tho Ten Minutes' Ministry I ROYD CARLICK COMMITTEE. THE REPORT AND EVIDENCE.

SIR JOSEPH AVARD asked the Primo Minister whether it was proposed to print tho report of tho Royd Garlick Committeo and tho evidence taken by that body before discussing tho report. A member: Tho papers have printed it (the evidence) every day. Tho PRIME MINISTER said that the committee had not yet reported and ho had not tho slightest idea what it would do in regard to printing its report. ■ Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) said that .he and other members concorned should have access to tho Teport and ovidence before being called upon to discuss it, and Mr. G. Laurenson expressed a similar desire. Tho Hon. J. A. MILLAR, chairman of the .committee, said that thero was only one copy of the evidence. This by his instructions had boon kopt in the committeo room. Members of tlio committeo had been given access to it under the supervision of • the secretary. The Government Printer had estimated that it would cost £220 to print tho report and evidence. SIR JOSEPH. WARD said that it would be establishing a very undesirable precedent to decide that because tho proceedings of a committee were reported in newspapers they need not bo officially roported in full and made available to members. Newspaper reports were often condensed, though tlicy might bo very accurate. Mr. G. AV. RUSSELL (Avon) said that the report and evidence of tho Forestry Commission had been printed at a cost of £165, and ho expressed a doubt as to whether it would cost anything like £2so to print the report and evidenco of the Royd Garlick Committee.

The PRIME MINISTER said that tho usual practico was for a committee when it thought .evidence sufficiently important to warrant tho cost of printing it to make a recommendation on tho subject to the Houso through its chairman. Tlio decision always rested with tho House. Ho was not at all sure that it would bo worth while printing tlio evidence taken by the Royd Garlick Committee. Ho believed in publicity, but the expense had to bo considered. As to affording opportunities for perusal of tho report before it was laid on the table, neither ho nor anyono elso coftld interforo with a committee before it presented its report.

Later in tho afternoon it was agreed, on tho motion of the Hon. J. A. Millar, that tho Royd Garlick Committeo .should bo granted a week's extension of time. • Mr. Millar stated that tho timo previously allowed tho committeo expired on Thursday last.

THE LAND BILL. Mr. E. NEAVMAN (Rangitikei), on behalf of tlio Lands Committee, reported that it had considered the Land Laws Amendment Bill, and recommended that it bo allowed to proceed with amendments. The PRIME MINISTER, in answer to Mr. G. AV. Russell, stated that the amendments mado by the Lands Com-mit-too were slight and of a technical character, with one exception. Olio clanso had been struck out, and another substituted for it, which dealt with Cheviot grazing runs. It seemed to bo desired that these runs should bo placed in the same position as other grazing runs throughout New Zealand, that was, that, in tlio ovent of subdivision, tlio original owner should have the right to select any ono of tlio subdivisions.

INCOME TAXATION. TIIE SMALL SHAREHOLDER. Tlio Hon. JAS. ALLEN moved tlio third reading of the Land Tax and Income Tax Hill. SIR JOSEPH AVARD, referring to what had been said earlier in tlio debate by the Minister of Finance and himself, remarked that lie was quite aware that a company borrowing at G per cent, upon preferonco fiWes ajid

lending money out at tho samo rato would not havo its taxation increased by tho transaction. Ho had not commented upon tho English systom of taxing upon dividends in his earlier speech oil the Bill, but lie was of opinion tliat tho English system would be incomparably better than what was proposed iu tho Bill. Tho taxation imposed by tho Bill, ho contended, was very heavy, and would injuriously affect a large number of small shareholders and small investors in this country. Ho expressed the opinion that it' would havo been better to stick to an incomo tax of Is. 2d. instead of one of Is. 4d.

Tho Hon. Jas. Allen said that the small shareholders had been worked up in opposition to tho Bill. Mr. Myers: By whom?

Mr. Ailen: "By all sorts of people. All tho companies • aro writing to mo and complaining about their small shareholders." Ho added that he was ascertaining how many small shareholders and widows the companies had and had no doubt that tho information would bo surprising. . ■ Sir Joseph Ward: You ought to ask them how many widows they aro likely to have.

Mr. Allen: That is another question. Ho continued that tho alteration was practically nothing until amounts in excess of £1400 wero reached. Afterwards tho tax increased at tho rate of a fartliing a hundred pounds. It was only abovo £2000 that thero was any material increase. As to what had been said about increasing taxation money had to bo found for pensions, the increasing cost of education, and other tilings. Immigration should also bo charged to tho Consolidated Fund and to somo extent tho samo' applied to tho staffing of tho Public Works Department and to the construction of roads. A custom had grown up of transferring money from tho Consolidated Fund to tho Public Works Fund instead of charging those sorvices direct to tho Consolidated Fund. To an interjection bv Mr. Hino, tho Minister said that tho imposition of a supertax on largo income's was a matter for very careful consideration. Ho maintained that it was quite as fair to impose extra taxation upon large companies as it was to impose-it upon professional men and others who earned their incomes "by the sweat of their brows."

Tho third reading was agreed to on tho voices.