SALES TAX BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1933, Page 5

SALES TAX BILL

SECOND READING

LABOUR AMENDMENT LOST. (Pt Press Assoviation — Copyright.) WELLINGTON, February-17. In the House of Representatives yesterday urgency was accorded the passage of the .Sales Tax Bill By 46 votes to 23. The debate on- the second reading was continued uhti| ;9 pvhi'., when it entered upon a now .leaio-. of life, Mr D. G. Sidlivan (Lab.; Avon), moving as,an amendment, that the House refuse to accord a second reading of a Bill which imposed t ah additional burden of taxation on the relief workers, old age pensioners, of every kind, and other impoverished sections ijf the community, and which calculated to so interfere with til© conduct, of industry and badness as to increase the numbers of unemployed. A'\:- > . The closure,'was Applied at'midnight by 43 votes to 26. ■ This l was-'the first time .the closure had . been moved since the resumption of the session. ; The amendment wag’ defeated by-. 44 votes to 26. • ■ y Messrs A. J. Stallworthy (Govt., Eden), R. A. Wright (Govt., Wellington Suburbs), H. Atmore (Ihd., Nelson), And 15, -T. Tkikaten# (Govt., Southern Maori),- joined the Labour members in voting fov it, • The Bill wng read a second time by the same margin;' and’the House went into committee, y ’ •■' ALL-NIGHT sitting in house. WELLINGTON, February 17. - Very little progress with the Sales Tax Bill wai-A the outcome, of the. all night isitting .inthe "Houseof Representatives. The first hint that Labour, intended to utilise every means of obstructing the passage measure was given when they divided * the Houisfe , yesterday afternoon on the -motiou for: urgency.* The Hon. J’. -G. -Coates, however; took an early opportunity •of stating that . -thegovernment wgf ~prepared to face any attack the opposition might launch and wpuld not run away. Neither, aide had shown any . sign of, relenting when the House, adjourned for breakfast this morning, , and only one of, the Bill’s sixty-nine clauses < had been passed in'Committee. ■-v The closure. had had .to be applied three times in .'the: course of .reaching'' - this stage. . - ■ * HOUSE PASSES CLAUSE TWO. >* '• , • * WELLINGTON, February 17. The House resumed at 9,30 a.m. Clau.se Two of the Bill (interprets* lion’ clause) was passed: to 10.45 by 39 votes to 22. DREDGING MATERIAL EXEMPT. February 17. When the House- of Representatives was in committee on the Sales ' Tax Bill, Mr J. G. Coates' replying to Mr J. O’Brien Westlanai that, material for gold, dredging-.would be subject to the ta-x. ' ' V ‘ ' 1 ; The departmental ruling was that dredging machinery, if imported, by a company for use by itself, would not bo -imported for sale, and as the Bill' stood at present, would not be subject to the tax. Riven if if were imported for sale' it' was possible that , dredging machinery-would be classified as being for use in industrial purposes, ahd therefore exempt. Mr O’Brien: What atßmt general mining gear—explosives and t-ools?

Mir Coates said that he thought it would be found that mining gear generally was exempt. Explosives were exempt. • :