FEDERAL POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1930, Page 5

FEDERAL POLITICS

SCENE AT HOUSE. (Australian Press Association.) CANBERRA, December 18. There was an angry scene in the House of Representatives to-night when Mr Fenton introduced a schedule imposing an export duty of one halfpenny per pound on sheepskins in the wool, obviously with the idea, of helping the local I'ellmongery industry. Opposition members shouted “scandalous, how much did the Labour Party get out of this’’ while somebody intercepted something about “Mungana Leases,” which brought Mr Theodore to his feet. He walked toward Opposition benehs amid terrific din and a fight seemed imminent, but the intervention of members on both sides of the House prevented • a display of fisticuffs, which a minute before seemed inevitable.

LIVELY SCENES. (Received this day at 11 a.m.) SYDNEY,' December 18. The “Herald” and the “Pictorial” describe the scene in the Federal Parliament last night as the most disgraceful ever witnessed. Mr Fenton’s opening words were received with uproar from the opposition members who. shouted :—“This is the worst job that has ever been put over here,” Mr Green .—“lt is a barefaced robbery.” - ' f Mr Parkhill: —“lt is an absolute swindle.” Mr Gullet!:—And a public scandal. The Chairman of Committees vainly called for order. The disorder became overwhelming. Mr Fenton resumed liis seat. iMr Upton, continuing later, remarked about the Mungana Leases, which caused a violent storm. The speaker abruptly left the chair, and the seem.- culminated • when Mr Theodore and Mr Latham came to grips and struggled, while many colleagues formed an excited ring round them. All sense of decency was lost in uncontrolled rage.

FEDERAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES CANBERRA, December 18.

The anni ' i report of the Commonwealth Commissioner for Taxation states the sales tax collections for the three months amounted to £1,068,000. The number of income tax payers in the Commonwealth is 257,939, with taxable incomes amounting to £119.000.000. The amount of tax paid was £6,219,000! In addition 1 , 7765 absentees were assessed for tax amounting to £235,116, while eight thousand five hundred companies were assessed on taxable income of almost sixty millions sterling, for a tax amounting to millions.