WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAYLIGHT .SAYING. I PARTIES CONFEKKING. ,'Special to “ Guardian WELLINGTON, Sept. I. Th.- progress of .Mr Sicloy's Summer Time JJilI through the House of Representatives has been- delayed for a fortnight to allow ot a eonlerencc between the contending parties conc-ern-j njr the exemption of certain workers Iroin the provisions of the measure. Mr \Y. S. Glenn, the member for Bungitike-i, is championing the cause of the dairy fanners, some of a horn fear that putting the eloek forward liv an hour dating tour months in the year would gravely prejudice their comfort and their industry. Mr Sidov. with i haracteristic chivalry, is ready to give the opponents of his Bill every opportunity to make their ease good buL his own opinion is that left to themselves a. great, majority iif the dairy fanners would welcome the experiment and help to make it a success. The dairy farmers in Kugland have not sought to exempt themselves from daylight saving aster an experience of nearly a- dozen years, and the member lor Dunedin South does not think the dairy farmers in the Dominion would be anxious to separate themselves from tlio rest of the community in this respect. Whatever may he the result of the negotiations now in progress it seems fairly certain the Bill will pass through tho House and in that, event the Legislative Council will scarcely dare to arrest tho passage a second time. electoral rkforal The presentation of the report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission In the House of Representatives on Tuesday led to a more or less entertaining discussion upon the work of the commissioners, supplemented by a suggestion Iliac quinquennial Parliaments should be substituted for triennial. None of tho speakers had a good word to say for the commissioners, save the Hon A. 1). McLeod, the Minister in ( linage o! the Electoral Department, who pointed out the difficulties of their task and the tact with which tlcy had attempted in overcome them. It was the lion. \\ . Nos worthy, the Minister of External Affairs, that, made members sit up and listen, his preference- lor quinquennia! Parliaments in place cl triennial at once arresting their attention and winning, it would seem, a large measure of their sympathy. Iho Minister himself has lost his seat through the readjustment of the electoral boundaries, the old constituency of Ashburton being absorbed by its younger neighbours, and probably lit; feels' a little freer than do some other members in discussing the extension of tho life of Parliament. He is not a. recent convert- to the quinquennia.! system, however, having proclaimed his preference ior this system some years ago anil stood by his words ever since, 'ft was easy to inter that some of the other speakers were feeling tho same way. hut were not quite so Hank about the matter. INC RF ASP; OF TAXATION. in the Budget he submitted to the House of 1! er: resent a 1 i ves a month ago the Minister of Finance, beyond a.

very modes 1, prediction that the revenue. from ile imome lax during the current year would show an increase of G 2.781 upon that of last year, gave no indication of his intention to extract an additional half million or so from that sec!ion of the community enjoying taxable incomes exceeding £309 ft year. But it turns out that his “readjustment of graduations ” which affect chiefly people with small and moderate incomes, will swu! hit surplus by at least the sum just mentioned. It is tho method of readjustment, however rather Ilian its result that, will come in fur most criticism. Tho taxable income between £3OO and £1,500 is to lmvo its rat* increased by l-100tli of a penny in the pound; the income between £1,500 and £3,000 by 3-lOOths of a, penny; tho income between £3,900 and £5,900 by 1-209t1i of a penny and tho income beyond £5,900 by l-!oftth of a penny till tho maximum rate of 4s 6d in tho pound is reached at £8.700. There is no space for theelaboration of those figures hero, hut it- is obvious that their trend is to increase the burdens of people with small and moderate means in greater proportion, than the burdens ol people with larger means. LOCAL OPINION. The “Evening Post” in a judicial survey of the Ministers proposals finds little to commend them. “Tho broad general effect of Ike changes,” it says, “is to increase the load upon those classes of taxpayers who are mainly recruited among professional and salaried men. Last year income tax commenced at 7d in the pound over £3OO, rising by 2-300ths of a. penny for each pound, in excess of £3Cf>, up to £6,000. Now a new scale of graduation is proposed as follows: £3OO to £1.500, rising by 1-100th of a penny (50 per cent steeper than formerly); £1,500 to £3.900, 3-lOQtli (125- per cent steeper); £3.900 to £5,900, rising by l-200th of a penny (25 per cent less steep) ; £5,900 onwards, rising by 1.-4.00 th of a penny, as compared with l-300t.1i over £6,000 under the old scale.” The “Post by a slightly different route reached tiio conclusions already expressed. “This,” it says, referring to the reduction of tho small salaries’ exemption will press mainly upon the taxpayer with an income of £l5O to £6OO. lie will pay tax upon £75 which was formerly exempt. In effect, he will be taxed about- £2 more than formerly. It almost seems that the Minister; has repeated so often bis reference | to the liberality of exemptions (which j take no account of Customs duties) that ho has come to believe the salaried man is fair game.” The local morning paper has not yet made reference to the Minister’s proposals. It may be a ease in which .silence is golden.