THE TAXING BILLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 6

THE TAXING BILLS

WILL APPEAR NEXT WEEK REASONS FOR DELAY A' statemont about; the business- to bo doiie. this session was made by! the Prime Minister in tlie House of llepresentatives last night. References, to the taxing bills were made by the Prime. Minister and' the Finance Minister. -

Mr. T. -K. Sidoy complained of undue delay in the bringing .»dowii of the taxation bills,, Which he said, had been Sromised. after the Estimates; had' been ispbsed of: : • ■ •

In reply tlie Prime Minister said that the preparation of tho Bills was a big order and had taken lougor than had been expected, principally because Ministers had not only-to attend to'that matter) .but. to the.-ordinary hushiess of tlio;House.- 1 , He would;promise,'however, that the taxing . Bills would! he submitted ,to Parliament on Monday or Tuesday next As " for the time tbat would be occupied in doaling with the ordinary business ' of: tbe ■ House fand concluding the session, it was impossible to give information until the -taxing. Bills had been dealt with. Then ho would be able to inform Parliament what, Bills it was' intended ■to • proceed 'with." .' There were a 1 number of small Bills, of tlie kind that could ibo disposed of at- tbe rate; of, . perhaps, a dozen' a .day. The Government 'ivas anxious to bring -the session to a close as soon as possible, because, apart'from their. Parliamentary, duties public ..men had important business awaiting theih during the recess, and the country, moreover, ->yas just as anxious to seo the sfession concluded, as members .were., He would wind. tho session up as soon as, he possibly could. Sir. G. Witty (Riccarton) expressed tho opinion that the taxing Bills, migbt have made their appearance earlier. ■ ■ ' •

Sir Joseph Ward said that members' did not know what was", involved in the preparation. of the. taxing. Bills, or they would-nob make such statements. No time had been lost in their, preparation since this passing..of - tlie Budget; • and nothing could have been done until tlie Budget had been passed. The present taxing Bills were . very different from taxing Bills ordinarily submitted to Parliament, and_ their, preparation .was a. .delicate and intricate .matter.- They were not ready yet, though they were nearly ready, and till their preparation was completed they; could not be brought down. ' -