GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1427, 11 September 1878, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

[PBB PEEBa AGENOY.J Tuesday, September 10. The House resumed at 7.30. PBOGBES3 OP BUSINESS?. Before proceeding with business, Major ATKINSON suggested that, as the business was a good deal behindhand, tho Government should ask that the House sit on Mondays, and that Wednesday or Thursday be devoted to Government business 1 . Ho took' this liberty with the view of getting business expedited, as he was aware how many were anxious to see it advanced rapidly. Tho Pbkmieb said the Government would consider the matter, and let the Houso know to-morrow. LAND TAX BILL. Tho debate on tho Land Tax Bill was resumed. Mr I'ysa deprecated the action of so many

hon. members in cavilling at the small details of the measure, instead of criticising its principles. While he would have preferred a wider measure of reform, ho would not cavil at what he considered a measure of that reform for which the country was bo anxious. He heartily concurred in the three main principles of tho Bill, namely, the tax on land, the exemption of small holders, and the taxing the unimproved value. The hon. member took exception to the argument of the member for Geraldine when he said that unimproved land had no value, so long as it remained unimproved. While ho would go the length of admitting that such land possessed no vahie for the State, it possessed a great deal of value for the owner, especially when his neighbours by improving around it gave it an increased value. Ho would also support the second reading of the Joint Stock Companies Bill. Tho principle was sound; still he would like to see goldmining companies exempted, because they were taxed already by the gold duty. Small shareholders should also be exempted. He thoroughly approved of the beer tax. Beer was a luxury, and should therefore be taxed. He however would prefer the English mode of levying tho duty, and was sorry the Treasurer had not adopted that plan. As to tho principles of the Customs alterations he agreed on most, though he would have preferred to see the tax taken off Bugar altogether. As to the Australian wine tax, he thought an attempt should have been made to obtain reciprocity. The ad valorem duty he considered a great incentive to fraud, and it ought to be abolished. By returns it appeared that the duty on wearing apparel for the last two years had fallen by £60,000. Ho feared that there must have been some extensive frauds somewhere. In no other way was it explainable, especially when it was considered that the population had been steadily increasing. If the duty was removed off grain, it ought to bo removed off timber, but he thought the Government ought to be cautious how they took the duty off grain. If it were possible he would prefer to see all duties abolished, so that our harbors might become thronged with vessels bearing products from all climes and countries, and he believed that such a grand impetus to commerce as that was only a question of time. He did not consider the proposals of tho Government as an attempt to increase taxation. It was merely an adjustment, so as to lighten the shoulders of the poorer classes and place the burden on those better able to bear it. The Government had been advised to withdraw their measures and bring them down next session. He hoped they would not do anything of the hind, but would stand by them, and compel the large dividenddrawers and those with cattle on the hills to contribute to the cost of government, and so relievo the too heavily taxed working man. Mr WASON deprecated the imputations by implication cast by the Government upon the importing class. It would have been more manly if the Government had boldly said that the importing class had defrauded the Customs by cooked invoices. As to free trade principles, he yielded to no one; but he thought the tinkering with the tariff by the Treasurer was an insult to free trade. He deprecated the idea of putting a tax upon our wholesome beer and taking it off wines of a notoriously intoxicating character, and a headache from which was infinitely worse than one. caused by beer or whisky. This was placing intoxication at a cheap rate within reach of poor people. Besides, it was not fair, consideringhow Victoria taxed all our products. If Government wished to increase temperance, they should follow the English precedent, and adopt a sliding scale, not, tax light French wines and reduce the tax on heavy Australian wines. He disapproved of the land tax as something .sneaking and insidious. If the Treasurer would burst up the landed estates of tho colony, ho ought to say so at once. It appeared to him that the tax looked very like confiscation. The tax was essentially a class one. Last session it was understood that they were to expect a paoperty tax, but under this proporty went free, and large capitalists escaped. It was well known that the holders of land for pastoral purposes were not wealthy classes. It would be a different thing if the land was very fertile, or if it was excessively scarce. He was at a loss to see why property should be exempted, but if they were to exempt up to five hundred pounds of property why not have a sliding scale, and tax the owner of five thousand pounds worth more he with only a thousand and bo on, in proportion to the amount of property held. He agreed with the member for Geraldine that unimproved land was valueless. Until it was improved what was the good of the best land in the colony if it was out of the way of roads. The theory of unearned increment he considered mere bosh. Much of the land in Cauterbury lay unsold, even after the railways were made. He believed the American invention of reaping and binding machines did more to sell land in Canterbury than the Public Works policy. Mr Cuetis would vote against the second reading of the Bill, chiefly because the statement of the Minister of Public Works, coupled with that of the Treasurer, showed that ft was a marked departure from the broad lines of the Public Works policy—viz., the construction of main trunk lines, and which had been understood ever since the institution of that policy. The proposals showed that a very large proportion of the North Island, and tho whole of tho north part of tho South Island were to be heavily taxed in order to promote the construction of railways in more favored districts of the colony. Eor these reasons ho must oppose the Bill, though he approved its principles. Mr Brandon opposed the proposal. On the motion of Mr Httnteb the debate was adjourned till 7.30 to-morrow. The House then adjourned at 9.45.

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION

A meeting of Volunteers was held last night in the Drill-shed, to discuss the desirability of the formation of a Eifle Association for the colony. Major Lean was voted to the chair, and opened the proceedings by reading the following circular : Wellington, 31st August, 1878. Dear Sir, —It having been decided during the last session of Parliament that there should be no more colonial meetings, a suggestion was made to the Government of the advisableness of forming a New Zealand Eifle Association, on the basis of the National Kifle Association of England, to take up the work hitherto conducted under Government auspices, viz : That in the event of such an association being formed, whether the Government would transfer to it the whole colonial prize firing equipment, consisting of tents, targets, champion belts, &c., &c. ; whether the Government would assist such association with a money grant in aid of its funds, and the use of a reserve at a central part of the colony for the purpose of holding annual gatherings. The Government received the propos.lvery favorably; but nothing further was done in the matter until the same questions were asked in the House of Representatives on the 2lst inst., when the reply was favorable on every point. In order to save valuable time, a preliminary meeting of representatives of volunteer corps in Wellington was bold on the 27th_ inst., when a provisional committee were appointed to confer with volunteers generally throughout the colony, with a view to the formation of a purely Colonial Association.

I have, therefore, by desire of this committee, to address you on the subject, and to solicit your kind assistance with a view of placing the matter before the corps under your command, at the earliest possible date, to ascertain the amount of support the association would be UkeJy to receive, the Government having intimated their willingness to assist, if assured that the volunteers mean business. [Vide " Hansard," 21st August, page 363.] I may point out that there is not a day to be lost if wo are to obtain any pecuniary assistance from the Government for the forthcoming season.

'Our committee have every wish to work heartily in accord with volunteers generally throughout the colony, for the gcner»l good of tho whole force, irrespective of any district or branch of the service, either north or south. No attempt has yet been made to draw up a set of rules for the government of the proposed association, as our committee feel that, to do justice to the subject, every district should have a voice in the matter, and have asked me to suggest that, as soon as possible, a meeting of volunteers in your district should be held, and a

delegate appoint°d to visit Wellington. The committee have, therefore, fixed Tuesday, the Bth October next, as the date on which tho meet ing of delegates will be held. In the meantime the committee will be pleased to act in any way in furtherance of the object. If, however, your volunteers arc inr.ble to send a d legate, our committee w-uld be glad if you would nominate some person resident iu Wellingtuii to represent your interests. I am also to ask you to explain to your volunteers that, t-D ensure success, the asso iation must be strongly supported by the volunteer for. e as a body- in fact, become aim st a volunteer association, otherwise it would be needless to ask assistance from Government. But while offering this remark, our committee desire me to say that they do not wish to exclude civilian (or non-volunteer) members. I am further desired, before concluding, to urge upon you the importance of losing no time in this matter, and to ask if you will, as early as possible, send me a short telegram, giving the probable number of members wfao will join. The committee, on receipt of such information, wid then at once communicate with the Government, and endeavor to arrange for a grunt in aid being placed on the supplementary estimates for the current year. I remain, dear sir, yours very truly, Francis Stbvens, Interim See. He said that immediately upon receiving this circular he had communicated with Mr .Appleby, secretary of the Canterbury Eifle Association, who had informed him that he believed there would be about 100 willing to join the Association in this district—sixty volunteers and forty civilians. As it was important that the Wellington committeo should be informed of this, ho had at once telegraphed it to them. In answer to a question, Major Lean said there would of course be a subscription required from members, and an annual competition, but where the latter was to be held would have to be decided.

Captain Warner regretted that Government had determined to do away with the colonial meetings, which had done so much to foster good feeling among the volunteers and to make good shooting. The proposed association, however, would have tho same effect, and he was glad to Bee that it was not to be confined t? volunteers. Ab there was no time to be lost, they should at once set to work to secure the Government grant in aid. He would propose a resolution for their acceptance. Ho road a resolution, but after some discussion, it was postponed until after tho following, proposed by Mr Appleby and seconded by Captain Hawke?, had been agreed to —"That this meeting affirms tho desirability of the formation of the New Zealand Rifle Association."

Captain Warner then moved—" That a committee be appointed, consisting of the officer commanding the district, with three representatives from each Volunteer company and three representatives of the Canterbury Rifle Association, the same being empowered to elect a delegate to represent them in Wellington." This was duly seconded and unanimously agreed to. In the course of a conversational discussion, Captain Hawkes said he gathered that the Volunteers would get their capitation money and no more, and that their railway fares would be refunded.

Lieutenant Strange moved—" That with a view to the early meeting of the committee, tho several bodies appoint representatives and forward their names to the officer commanding the district, not later than Saturday morning." The resolution was seconded and agreed to, and a vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the business of the meeting.