LANG DEFIANT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 March 1932, Page 5

LANG DEFIANT

ress. Assn.—

m ACT DESIGNED TO USURP FUNCTIONS OF STATE GOVERNMENT ILL NOT COLLECT ONE PENNY

-By Telegraph — Copyrlght).

Rec. Mai'. 15, 10.55 p.m. SYDNEY, Tuesday. The Premier, Mr. J. T. Lang, in the urse of a Ministerial statement on e Financial Agreement Enforcemt Act said that he had it on the st legal authority that this Act was ralid, and that its invalidity was 11 known to the Commonwealth ivernment. Draniatically he warned the Prime inister (Mr. J. A. Lyons) that if ? Commonwealth's peace officers atnpt to usurp the functions of the !W South Wales police force, they juld rind themselves in the same sition as any other body that atrapted to usui'p the functions of the ate Government. He added that the Commonweaith's ralid Act was designed to oppress d deprive New South Wales of its iney and to leave it withotit a penny ece. liblding up essential serviees d thereby deposing the Govern;nt. Such a course would undouhtly lead to conflict, turmoil and disder. and the Commonwealth would direetly responsible. "It will not eollect one penny from !W South Wales," he said, "and it n go straight ahead with its peace rce for the suppression of imaginv drilling and arming in this ate." The Financial Agreements Enf orcesnt Act provides that, after a mom has been carried hy Parliament, yment of revenue due to a State ist be made by the taxpayer 'ough the Commonwealth instead of e State. Payment to the Commonalth has the effeet of a discharge the taxpayer of his liability to the ate, while payment to the State esnot discharge that liability. Penies are imposed for payment by s taxpayer otherwise than to the immonwealth, and on a State Miner, officer, or employee for atteming to secur-e payment to the ate. The Bill contains piovision for enrcement of payment to, the Cominwealth of State revenues. Power conferred on the Commonwealth. to ;ain loan moneys borrowed for a ate by a decision of the Loan Coun- . Banks can he required to hand er to the Commonwealth moneys »v liold or receive.on behalf of a

ate. OfFences against the Bill are nishable. Where summary proidings are taken the maximum nalty is a fine of £100 or imprisonsnt for six months. Where the. o£ice is prosecuted on ind.ictme.nt, the iximum penalty is a fine of £500 impvisonment for two years, or :h.