AMERICAN MEAT TRUST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 74, 30 June 1916, Page 7

AMERICAN MEAT TRUST.

In reply to Mr Will'ord, the Premier said he had no information regarding the operation of the American Meat Trust in Taranaki. He desired to say, however, that every pound of meat exported from the Dominion I went to the Imperial authorities, and what was suitable went to the Army, the balance being disposed of in London by the Board of Trade. Ho had been giving close attention to this question for some months, and he understood that, up to January, there had been no profit on the Imperial Government’s transaction. Hie thought that since then there, must have been |a profit. These profits belonged to the Board of Trade, which was an Imperial department, and, in his opinion, this Department had treated New Zealand very well indeed. PUBLISHING DETAILS OF WOUNDS. Replying to Mr Isitt, the Minister of Defence said the publication of details of wounds from which soldiers were suffering was a concession to public enquiry, but if it was distressing to friends of the wounded men the practice would he stopped for the future - , and the particulars would be sent to the friends privately, CABLE PIFFLE, Mr Wilford asked if the Premier would convey to the authorities that the piffle cabled out regarding the Anzacs and appearing in the morning papers, was not the kind of stuff we wanted. It was simply, nauseating, and he hoped the Premier would make a dignified protest against such class of news being sent out.

The Premier replied that he would look into the cables in question. He was satisfied that a lot of the news cabled out was unworthy of appearing in print, and he would see if it was possible to take any action. help for working women. f Mr Jennings (Taumarunui) asked for an assurance by the Premier that the wives of Grown tenants who had gone to the front were receiving the remission of rent their husbands would have been entitled to had they remained in the Dominion.

The Premier replied that lie would see that the remission of . rent was made in such cases till the>,9pd r yejar. . ■. ■ u /lir.yo’ Rand and ixcome-ta ! x: blll. r .. . • il'j'i VS' J v»Ta , r -»7 The. House went into committee on the Land and Income Tax Bill. Sir Joseph Ward said that in the endeavour *to ) give effect to . the proposal to abolish the ’mortgage tax, it ivas clear the Bill had gone further than intended. Farmers ! would not receive the concessions under the new scheme they now enjoyed, because they would not be able to deduct from the land-tax the amount of their mortgages. It seemed impossible to give them that right tax were abolished. He') therefore, proposed to reinstate the right to deduct mortgages, but, if that was dofte, the mortgage tax must alsd.be restored. He also proposed to ask the House to hold over several . other for further >' \ )

After the dinner . adjournment consideration of 1 the Land and IncomeTax Bill, in committee, was resumed. The debate on the short title was continued, a number of speakers taking advantage of the opportunity provided to refer to matters of taxation and finance.

Sir Joseph Ward replied to some of the objections raised, on the lines of his explanation in the afternoon. He said there must be no doubt about future finance, the mortgage tax must be reinstated.

Mr Wilford pointed out that the House was discussing the Bill in the committee stage, wljile twenty clauses had still to be substituted Tor twenty which, had been withdrawn. He suggested the Bill should be held over and the taxing bills be brought down together. Thewlobate was still proceeding when the House rose for the supper adjournment.

At twenty minutes to eleven, the short title was passed, and clauses of the Bill to 85 were passed, with the exception of clauses postponed by the Minister, with but little comment. A division was called for by Mr Payne on sub-section E of Clause 85, with a view to removing the income of the New Zealand Mining or.Scheelite Company from the list of exemptions. This was lost by 40 to 6.

Mr Payne moved a further amendment to strike out the word “mining” at the end of sub-section E, but this was defeated by 35 to 10. The clause was passed.

The remainder of the clauses were passed without comment. Progress was reported, and the House rose at 12.15 a.m.