HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 84, 5 October 1895, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. Hon Mr Ward moved the second reading of the Government Advances to Settlers Bill, to aruund the Government Advances to Settlers Act, 1894. He said it was proposed to reconstitute the Board, not because Government had any dissatisfaction but to euable a lesser number to form it. He explained that although the whole of the money set apart under the Act for advances had not been used by settlers there were still a large number of applications for advances, and ao that had beon the means of considerably reducing the rate of interest, he felt sure that the Act wonld confer great benefit on the colony generally. yir R. Stout said it was absurd to contend that this Act had lowereH interest when interest was being reduced all over the world. He much preferred to see the Board remain as it was under the present Act. After further debate the second reading of the Government Advances to Settlers Act Amendment Bill was agreed to on the voices. The Mining Act Amendment Bill was read a second time on the voices, and referred to the Goldfields Committee. The Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill was committed. In the interpretation clause, Mr Hone ll eke objected to the taking of Native laud under the Bill and moved to omit Native Land from the clause. Mr Ward offered as a compromise to reduce the rates on Native land under the bill by one half. Mr Hone Heke ac eepfced the compromise. In Committee on the Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill, a long discussion took place on the proposal to make the Land Income Tax a permanent tax instead of an annual one. The opinions of members was largely in favor of the latter. Eventually Mr Ward agreed to alter the Bill in direction of retaining the tax as an annual one. Clause C, Land Tax to be paid on Native land occupied by other than Maoris, after considerable discussion on the question of the taxation of Native land, Mr Ward moved an amendment to the Clause to provide that Native land occupied prior to passing the Act shall be liable to half the duty of land tax, but after passing the Act to the full amount of the ordinary duty, but in neither case shall it be subject to the graduated tax. After further discussion Mr Ward moved to report progress. He said the compromise he made had been received in such a way he felt justified in withdrawing it and reporting progress. The motion was agreed at 1 a.m. The House then rose till 7.30 p.m. on Monday.