PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 252, 30 November 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

MONDAY, NOVElffliß 2 9 . BOUSE OF REPRESENTATCNc By Telegraph.—Press Associatioa Wellington, Last Night. In the House this afternoon, the Promier gave notice to move that on and i after Saturday, December 4, the House sit on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We THE HOURS OF THE HOUSE. i't Mr. Thomson (Dunedin) asked the x Premier if he would make arrangements £. as soon as possible for the House mcetv ' jng during three days of the week from \ 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., two days of the week to be set apart for committee work, the suggestion to be made to apply to the remainder of the session, with a view to facilitating public business. A short discussion ensued in which I varied opinions were expressed to the advantages or otherwise of the adaptation of the suggestion, Mr. Allen holding ttat members required the morning for .. going through Bills when their heads Were clear. The (Premier eaid he approved of reasonable hours, though any proposal to change the hours of sitting would meet witlr opposition. He complained that members of. the Opposition side had adopted dbstruetive tactics, and wasted tune discussing Bills not before the House. If the suggestion of Mr. Thomson's were carried out, it would be popBible for the work of the session to be further obstructed by futile discussion , Me was willing to have a meeting in the , forenoon of three days in the week Without fixing the hours for rising. He i objected to the exhaustion process, but ' members were themselves to blame, and ] not the Government. ' ■~: - - -SUE CHRISTCHUECH REPRIEVE. ( Replying to Mr. Lanrenson as to why i Roberts, the Cbristchureh murderer, was \ reprieved, the Premier said the Govern- f ment was unanimous in making the re- g commendation after considering the Judge's report, medical evidence and the 3 recommendation of .the jury, before the ;, petition iwas before it. The jury con- j, sidered that while Roberts was not in- 9 sane he was a degenerate, not morally a responsible, inherited defective j, nantality and further debased himself ;. Ny intemperate habits. t] Mr. Wilford nrged that this was another instance of the necessity for a „. new definition of insanity, and suggested S. that the Premier co-operate with the Attorney-General in framing a new de- 2 Button of insanity to meet such cases. The Premier moved the second readDig of the

DEATH DUTIES BILL, *Wcn he said combined the two principles of estate .duty and legacy duty. Death duties were recognised to be the talrert and most equitable of taxes, being imposed on people who did not earn the wealth taxed. The Bill provided for a graduated scale of duties, framed wi*,h the object of the distribution of wealth ■before, rather than after death. Many -estate* torf-sseapL Ma-^rjfflaTurT fag life, but the BiH prevented this. It was generally recognised that increased death dnties were necessary, just -ind equitable. ' h,j

Mr. Allen admitted the justice of ths Bill, but criticised several features, including the distinction drawn between a Maori husband and wife. He thought that the exemption of legacy duty might be raised from #SOO to £IOOO. In regard to death duties, the position of a widow might be that her estate might pay duty when passing to her, and again at her death, which might happen shortly after. Several other-objections were raised by Mr. Allen. Mr. Wilferd said it was impossible to frame taxation on gifts-that could not be evaded. Marriage settlements made by deed had to pay duty, but evasion could be made by cash payments. ! Mr. Baume expressed satisfaction withi the Bill, which had taken a course he had long urged upon the Government. He would like- to see the Premier take .into consideration the increasing of the graduation from the point at which it stopped, which was his chief objection to the Bill. Mr. Herdman did not object to the principle of the Bill,.but did object to the increased taxation which had been rendered necessary by the gross extravagance of the Government within the past few years. Mr. Lauren'son said the increased taxation was laro-c!v due to increased prosperity, entailin? expenditure in the direction of develon ; n« nublic services. Mr. Ferries «sid the Bill would have. the hcartr snnnorT of the House. The details of the Bill, however, required attention to ensure justice. The Premier, in Hie eourse of hi? reply, said there was not sufficient inducement in «i« p: " '- ■•••'-« it worth whil» for peonlc hivinn movable nropertv to leave the Dominion 'n order to escape taxation. Ho-wmtfl ■■-•■ agree with Mr. Allen's suggestions that exemption in legacies should be raised from £SOO to £IOOO, nor that a husband should he j placed on the same level as a wife in the ease of death 1 duties, nor to the suggestion, that marriage settlement cxemotion should extend to (rifts from father to daughter, as a wedding gift. The second reading was aereed to. SHIPPING AND SEAMEN BILL. In the House in the evening Mr. Millar moved the second reading of the Shipping and Seamen Act Amendment Bill, which, he explained, embodies most •of the recommendations adopted at the Imperial Maritime Conference. Mr. Herries hoped the provisions ot the Bill would be made to apply to steamers and launches run on the lakes by the Tourist and Railway Departments. Mr. Wilford congratulated the Government upttn the provision which grants power to the Governor to appoint inspectors to inspect wool, flax, tow and skins before shipment. Mr. Poole wa9 gratified to know that many disabilities under which the seafaring men labor would be removed by the Bill. .

Mr. Fisher, referring to the loss ot

the Duco, said he hoped the Minister would see that provision was inserted 1 -.. in the Bill to prevent cargW being ship--4 Bed after inspection, thereby endangerfe< lag the lives of the crew. Wr Messrs. Glover and Luke considered jfe the Bill an excellent measure.

Replying to Mr. McLaren, the Minister said he did not intend submitting the Bill to anv Select Committee, as he had sent co]' '''" Owners' and Seamen's Unions, -\ ' expressed favorable opinions t'<-"i <■■ He would accept reasonable amendments' in committee. The Bill was read a second time.