POLITICAL

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 8 September 1917, Page 5

POLITICAL

THE INDEPENDENTS’ DEMON}STRATION. THE TEA DUTY. (Special Correspondent.) . WELLINGTON, Sept 7. Thanks to the firmness of the Minister, the Finance Bill had a much smoother and much more rapid passage through the House than was generally anticipated. Sir Joseph Ward having made up hig mind what ought to he done in the way of taxation, insisted upon doing it ? and though promising consideration to several suggestions would permit no radical modification of his proposals. The friendly Opposition, comprising a majority of the Liberals, the Labour members and two or three Reformers moved to delete the duty of three-pence a pound on tea, but the attempt to preserve the tradition of the “free breakfast table” was defeated by thirty-seven to twenty-one with seven members pairing on each side. The division probably represents the strength, though not necesssfcrily the personnel, of the indepen<re»t element in' the House that is fretting under “autocratic domination” of .the National Government. THE MINISTER IN REPLY. In his reply to the criticism that had been directed against his proposals, Sir Joseph Ward reiterated his statement in regard to the special needs of the time. He did not like the tea duty better than the members who had voted against It did. Years ago he had placed both tea and sugar on the free list and he had made other concessions he would like to have preserved; but the demands made by the war were so great and so urgent that he was compelled to look in every direction for revenue and to get it by such means as seemed likely to press harshly upon the mass of the community. He thought the tea duty came within this category and he did not believe the wage-earners and the total abstainers? to whom some of the speakers had been playing, would have the slightest objection to contributing a few shillings a year towards increasing the pensions of deserving people.

COST OF LIVING. The debate on the Finance Bill jfeened the door to a very free and nul discussion of the cost of living problem and several seized upon the opoprtunity to say hard things of the Government and the B’oard of Trade. Mr Hornsby, the member for Wairarapa, in a rather dramatic fashion, withdrew his allegiance from the National Cabinet, apparently more in sorrow than in anger, and then proceeded to indicate that the report of the Cost of Living Committee, of which he is a member, would reveal a state of affairs very far from creditable to the Administration. He described the Board of Trade as “a farce,” perhaps meaning it was so hedged around with restrictions it can do nothing on its own initiative, but he. did not explain how it had failed in such duties as it is allowed to perform. The Prime Minister warmly resented what he regarded as a reflection upon the ability of the members of the Board and paid a high tribute to their industry amT integrity. PROFITEERING.

Several of the speakers in the House last night stressed their belief that a vast amount of profiteering going on the country' the large iand-owners and the merchants being the chief offenders, and half hinted the Government was winking at the evil. This indeed, was the burden of a large part of their remarks'upon the Finance Bill. The Prime Minister, in replying to this kind of criticism from half-a-dozen sources proI duced a statement by the Board of Trade to the effect that it had enquired into a number of suggestions of the sort ancMiad found nothing to justify the law being put in motion. Mr commenting upon the report, urged melnhers to assist the Government and the Board by reporting any suspicious circumstances that might come under their notice. THE LICENSING BILL. It is rumoured now that the Cabinet, after counting heads, pricking cards, and performing the various operations by which Ministers are supposer to ascertain the direction In which the wind Is blowing, has determined to propose to the House that the public bars shall remain open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is said there is a narrow majority prepared to accept this but members advocating a still further reducjk o n of the hours claim to have a margin of three or four at their back in favour of 7 o’clock and not strongly adverse to 6 o’clock closing. The ©ut-and-put Prohibitionists are not <■ r‘. ’■w ’

over sanguine of getting 6 o’clock from Parliament, but they are con vinced nothing less will satisfy the sentiment of the country and they are predicting a great popular upheaval if the less conciliatory of their opponents should get their way.