HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 22, 20 August 1891, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

I TUESDAY, AWHTST 18'^ 1 , The Premier, in reply to M* Fishy said? l' the Government life Insurance Depart--I ment wetfe of opinion' thatf theeompara-- \ tive statement issue* By the* Australian Mutual Brovident Society, was in contra- < vention of the agreement, arrived' at.- --! The, head office at Sydney had- been communicated with,- afldiwhen complete^ the correspondence would he-placed before^ theHoaeev \ The Jremier, in reply to* a further* question by ,Mr Fish,' said. during June* and July the amount of new business' done by the Government Insurance Deipartment bad decreased^ somewhat as" > compared with the same periods-last year,- --\ bat on the other hand the lapsed policies- : for the* month of July had been considerably less. The expenses of tKe Depart-^ mentba&aleo- been considerably lessened^ - and'everything;, was being r .dtme > t0 T pat'»He business on a sound basis. If hon. members were not satisfied he should be gladtb haye a complete investigation made. : The Premier, in reply to Sir John Hall', -said the Government recognised thata majority of the House were in 1 favour o£ discussing the question of female-franv-chise,.and it' was their intention^ to setaside Monday after next for- the- hon.- ' member to Have- an opportunity of bring- •■ ing forward hisKßiQ on that subject. The Land and Income- Tax Assessment - Bill was re-committed?iOß/the motion of^ the Premier, in order to»coasider certainu amendments. The' Premiermaved to insert the following proviso under<th& : head of "Tax on mortgages": — ""Brovidedi that no company registered in New Zealand whose sole or principal business- isthat of a loan, building, and investment:, company, and the head office and management of which is situated and conducted in New Zealand, shall be liable to pay by way of tax on mortgages a sun* greater than an income tax oi one shil-* ling and sixpence io the pound sterling oil the income from' mortgages owned bysuch company in the year in respect of which such tax is payable." The claim was agreed to and the Bill. passed. - Wednesday/ August* 19. The report of the New Plymouth Har* hour Board Loans Committee was also presented. The Committee recommended the Government to open negotiations with a council of foreign bond holders* .with- a view of replacing the- debentures of the New Plymouth Harbor Board with NewZealand stock on such- terms as may be* etjmtable. Replying to Mr Harkness, the. Premier Baid the 3oyernmeut woatd take-the-matter of amending the Standings Orders^ so as to prevent a recurrence of obstruction similar to that witnessed in connection with the Electoral Bill, into con,sideration early next session. Mr 'Fish also denied that he -had obstructed the female- franchise question on Friday night. He should neyer give his vote in any. deliberative assembly to resist'the freedom of debate. The Premier moved the 1 second readingof the Government Loans to Local Bodies' Act Amendment Bill/, which is to enable the Government to advance money tolocal bodies to enable them to cany on. the work of colonisation, such advances tobe a first charge, on the " proceeds of the? ■ disposal of 'land. ' The Hon Mr Bryee said the money solent would have to be procured by meansof a loan, and the Government ought to. have made it perfectly clear that » such, was the real state of the case. Mr Macarthur ' had always advocated* that roads should be made through land, before it was sold, and the cost of such roads should be added to' the-priceof landSnoh an addition to the Bill would make it much * more Otherwise* they would have to raise- a loan in theLondon market to extinguish the debt which was increasing under this Act., ■ The second reading was agreed to on. • the voices.