TAXING BILLS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 46, 16 October 1931, Page 3

TAXING BILLS

PASSED AFTER PROTRACTED RESISTANCE BY LABOUR GOVERNMENT'S SAFE MAJORITY ("Post" Special Commissioner). WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Government's taxation measures, the Land and Income Tax Amendment Bill and the Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill, were accorded urgency at yesterday's sitting of the House of Representatives and were not passed until 4.30 o'clock this morning. The main point of the official Opposition attack was the abolition of the graduated land tax, the argument being used that relief was being given only to the larger landowners. As against this, Government supporters pointed to the benefits being conferred on the smaller farmers through the reduction in the price of fertilisers and the proposed reductions in county rates. The Labour opposition sought to retain the graduated land tax by division, but were defeated in their object, although they received the support of nine Government members and three Independents. The clause relating to the taxation of gold mining companies was postponed and one minor amendment was conceded by the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Downie Stew-

art). In committee on the Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour, Auckland West), moved to retain the graduated land tax. There was an opportunity, he said, for those who had been opposing the abolition of the tax to be consistent and vote in the direction they had been speaking. This amendment was defeated by 33 votes to 26 votes, the division list being as follows: For the amendment: (26), Messrs. Armstrong, Atmore, Barnard, Black, Carr, Diekie, Fraser, Harris, Hogan, H. Holland, H. E. Holland, Howard, Jordan, Jull, Langstone, Lye, McCombs, McDonald, Munro, W. Nash, O'Brien, Parry, Savage, Sullivan, Wilkinson, and Wright. Against the amendment (33) : Messrs. Ansell, Bitchener, Broadfoot, Burnett, Campbell, Clinkard, Coates, Cobbe, Donald, Endean, Field, Forbes, Hamilton, Hawke, Jones, Kyle, Linklater, MacMillan, MacPherson, Makitanara, J. N. Massey, Murdoch, J, A. Nash, Sir Apirana Ngata, Ransom, Rushworth, Samuel, j Smith, Stewart, Sykes, Waite, Wil- 1 liams and Young.