PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 229, 24 October 1903, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

PKR PRESS ASSOCIATION. LEGISLA/fIVE COUNCIL. Fbiday, Octobeu 23. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The managers at the conference on the Council's amendmeut to the S ate Fire Insurance Bill reported they were unable to agree, ( The Attorney-General said the amendment itself was not objected to,: but the House considered the Council had exceeded its privileges in amending a money clause. Hon. Sir H. Miller conteuded th« print raised was a great historical one arising under totally new conditions. At the conference the Premier admitted that tb6 old idea that the Council could not amend Bills of this character having reference to montiy had exploded. He urged that unless the Council asserted its rights it would go a long way towards committing political suicide. After further disoussion a second conference was agreed to. The Municipal Corporations, and Sand Drift Bills passed their final stages. The Water Power Bill was committed. Hon. S. T. George moved an amendment in clause 3. This was negatived by 16 to 8 and the clause agreed tc. Progress was reported and the Council adjourned. Evening Sitting. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. Clause 6 of the Water Power Bill was struck out. Hon. Oarncross moved a clause to exempt the Hawera Lighting Company from tbe operation of the Act. This was carried and the Bill reported. The Poukawa Native Reserve Bill was read a second time and referred to the Native Affairs Committee. The Olutha Floods Relief Fund Trustees Empowering and Quean's Scholarships Bills were read a second time. The Council rose at 10 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, Octobee 22. After the Telegraph Office dosed the Aid to Public Works Bill passed through Committee. The Scenery Preservation Bill was read a second time on the voices. The House rose at 1.35.

Friday, October 23. The House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr Ait ken presented a petition from the Wellington Branch of the New ( Zealand Institute of Journalists with reference to the nrivileges of the Press, , Mr Seddon moved that the consideration of the petition be postponed. The , matter required further consideration, as it is alleged that a threat was made , by the House that reporters committing a breach of privilege would be excluded from the Press Gallery. Mr Speaker said the petition had already been received. Mr Seddon urgod that a petition makiog reflections on the House was not admissible, ' Mr Massey suggested that it was for the Speaker to say whether a petition was respectful and temperate, and therefore admissible, Mr Speaker said it was the duty of the hon. member presenting a petition to satisfy himself that there was nothing rn the petition which rendered it inadmissible. Eventually the question of admissibility was left in the Speaker's hands. Mr Taylor gave notice that in Committee on tb.9 Licensing Bill he would move to add to the ex offioio members of Licensing Committees, the Premien ef the colony, the president of the Licensed Victuallers' Assosiation and the president of the Rugby Union Football Glib of the district. MIDLAND RAILWAY. On the motion for the third reading of the Midland Railway Claims Settlement Act Amendment Bill Mr Jas. Allen said that the Receiver for the debenture-holders had agreed to accept £150,000 in scrip, and now beoause same of the debenture-holders objected to. the arrangement the oolooy was forced into a fresh course, involving an extra £IO,OOO. Sir Jos ph Ward said a difficulty had cropped up which prevented the issuing of the stock. Ibis Bill simply gave effect to the intentions of the Legislature, Mr Sneddon stated that when he was in London conferring with the deben-ture-holders they offered to pay £60,000 if they were allowed to take the railway back, but that offer he refused in view of the faot that the colony had spent large sums on the railway. I'he third reading was carried on the voices and the Bill pissed. ELECTORAL. ' The Electoral Acs Amendment Bill ' was read a first time. TREASURY BILLS. The amendment made in Committee I; in the Treasury Bills Extension Bill 11 was agreed to, and the Bill put ] through its final stages. ] LAND AND INCOME TAX. (

In moving the second reading of the Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill, Mr Seddon said that owing to anomalies in the present Aot most of the clauses in the Bill were necessary. The increase in revenue would only mean £3OOO, exclusive of the absentee tax, which would be £2OOO, while the basis would be more equitable than at present. The accumulated and uncollected tax on Eng-1 Hah Mining Companies amounted to £25,000, end the proposed concession meant £IO,OOO. This was a first instalment of preference and an earnost of the intentions of the colony. He pointed out some of the anomalies in the present system of taxation on property, showing that the steps were too wide, and the Bill proposed to reduce them. From £SOOO to £20,000 the owners paid £441 less than at present, and on the lessor amounts there was practically no difference. The absentees at present paid a paltry £9OO, and under the Bill they would pay an additional £2350. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. Evening Sitting.

The House resumed at 7,30, Mr Saddon, continuing, said that under clausa 12 every bunking corporation and every other country firm or person who held money by way of deposit and allowed interest thereon, must furnish annual returns, but the clause would either not be gone on with or else be modified. Mr Massey said he would show that the Bill did not remove all existing

anomalies, and that it went in the direction of increasing the graduated land tax. The House nbould see that all ciißßcs were fairly dealt with. The propw t ;„ showed that the colony wsa getting dangerously near a policy of confiscation, for excessive and unfair taxation on any eeotion of the community meant confiscation. Jt wu very significant that at the very first sign of tightness of the money market the Government should give another turn of tho screw. It snowed what thry had to expect. He pointed to 'the way in which large estates in the Waikato district hid been out up as allowing there was a tendency on the ptrtof owners to subdivide. The imposition of the absentee tax would have a bad effect, and was a case of straining at a gnat and swallowing a c'lnel. We borrowed at the rate of £500,000 a year iu England for land for pg tl inent, and th tt land, he contended, became the property of the English money lander just as if he held tbe title deeds. In its present form our taxation pressed too heavily on lad. '

Sir Joseph Ward said that in thi aggregate the alterations would reeul lin a general remission of taxation, i small increase was unavoidable, thi only point to consider was the inoi deuce of that increase. [ Mr T. McKenzie admitted that th( system under the Bill was an im provement, but he considered the ab sentee tax would bring odium to thi name of the colony. Mr Laurenson said that the Bil relieved taxation on property up ti £50,000, and it ought to have oom menced its inoreases lower down, Mr Wilford would have liked to a* the absentee tax made still heavier, Mr Hanan advocated a betteimen tax FIRE UMUBAHCK. The debate was interrupted by th Premier, who stated that the aeoom conference with the Council regarding the State Fire lesuranoe Bill had beei resultless. He suggested a third con ference, but would rather lose the Bill much as he had it at heart, than eon sent to an encroachment on the pri vileges of the House such as the Oounoi had sought to make. He moved tha Messrs W. Fraser and Field be ap pointed to act, with himself, at a thin conference. The motion was agreed to, (Left Sitting.)