PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8, 10 September 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBEH 9

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Wellington, September 9. The Council met it i.'jQ. The debate on the,Military Pen&on Bill was resume.l.

The Hon. ft. Jones said that it wai a pity they had not yet found mean of preventing the Avago slavery instea< of mitigating it, as was being don. in the present measure.

The Hon. 0. Samuel, in support in; the Bill, said it was a distinct a'! vance oa previous provisions, am ought to giv general (satisfaction. The Hon. J. Rjgg gave the Govern ment credit for the extended privilege granted in suck,a Bill, and if soldier: were not satisfied, they would be hare to please. Hons. Earnshaw and Mills also com mended the Bill,

The debate was adjourned. The Council rose at 5 p.m

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Public Trust Office Amend ment Bill was read a third time. The House went into committee 01 the Land Transfer Amendment Bill which passed through the minor machinery amendments. The Irrigntion and Water Supph IBill was then considered in commitI tee, and was passed unaltered. The committee then considered the Land Drainage Amendment Bill. On the Prime Minister's motion. provision was made that the rate to be levied may not exceed twelve farthings. The fixing of the number of ratepayers necessary to petition in order that a new rate may be levied, was altered from three fourths to half. The Bill passed through Committee

without further amend mentis. On the motion for the third reading of the Irrigation Water Supply Bill, Mr Allen said he looked forward to the irrigation of Central Otago. When that was accomplished, the district would he the Garden of Eden of New Zealand.

Mi' Russell questioned whether the Government was wise in confining their attentions in the direction of irrigation to one district. lie hoped the Government would not cease their efforts in that direction after Laving served one district alone. The Bill was then read a third time.

LAND AND INCOME TAX BILL. Mr Allen moved the second reading of the Land and Income Tax Bill. The measure was intended to amend certain anomalies in the existing law. For instance an income of £6Ol would, under the old law, pay £2 10s fed more than £6OO. They proposed it should he Is more. Income tax on income of companies was computed as follows:—Up to £I6OO, a duty of Is for every £ was imposed. From £I6OO to £2400 Is for every £. The rate increased by the two-hundredth part of a penny for every pound over £2400. Income tax on tax-payers ither than these referred to was proposed at the rate of Gd for r-very £ letween £4OO and £2OOO. Over £2400 ;he tax was Is 4d in the £. The increase in taxation was expected to field £-10,000 a year. He thought die proposals were fair and equitable ind would not be felt so much as some :ompaniest thought. Mr Russell said the provisions of die Bill were so complicated that the ndividual taxpayer would never bp ihle to work his taxation out. The tiill differed very little from previous Bills. The Government could hardly be said to be carrying out their platorm 'pledges of reducing taxation. Last year the Government admitted hat they had secured £46,000 more >ut of landholders than would have >een payable under the law when they ook office. During the past four years Customs duties have increased by w5!,000. A change in connection irith the fiscal system -was absolutely \ecessary. Mr Witty declared that nothing 'Liberal" emanated from the Governncnt side. There was no ferr of the Government forcing the large landuvner to dispose of his land. He lerided the idea that the cost of liyng could be increased by .squeezing •he rich man. That could only be lone by the rich man in turn squeezing the poor man. The Goyernmei;t iad made no proposals for the reducion of the tariff. ', i; . ( (J . After members from both sides of ho House had' spoken to the Bill, Mr Allen replied. He said, tW, taxation Vn companies was reckoned on income, mt on dividends. With regard to the nortgage tax, he said that a rble amount of revenue was derived Tom that form of taxation, and'he vas not prepared to deal with the natter this session. Until something >etter was evolved they must continue vith the tax. Dealing with the graduited land tax, he contended that unler the tax large estates were 1 gradually disappearing. The Bill was read a second time, md the House, adjourned at one o'clock.