DUTY ON OILS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1915, Page 8

DUTY ON OILS.

BILL TO PREVENT EXPLOITATION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A Regulation' of Trade and Commerce Amendment Bill was introduced bv Sir Joseph Ward in the House of Representatives this afternoon, and was dealt with as a matter of urgency. The Minister explained, on the motion for the second reading, that the Bill was intended to provide that the increased duties should not be claimed upon mineral oils and motor spirits held in the Dominion prior to August 2Gt'h last. , Drs. Newman and Thaoker, and Messrs C. A. Wilkinson, Witty. Tsitt, Anstey, Buiok, Webb, Glover, and Escott spoke in opposition to the tax. ' Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, pointed out that the Bill was to prevent some people paying the fourpence per gallon extra mineral oils that were held a.t the time thg tax was enacted. The principle of the tax could be discussed later. The motion was carried, the Bill being ,reported from committee iviliout amendment, read a third time, and passed.

THE KEROSENE TAX. By Telegraph—Special to Daily News. Wellington, Last Niglit. ' This afternoon the House of Hrepresentativesput through all stages and passed, the special Bill brought down by the Minister for Finance for the purpose of preventing exploitation of the (public in connection with the new duties on mineral oils, including kerosene and petrol. The Bill fixes the price of oils imported into the country prior to the appearance of the Financial Statement, on the basis of prices prevailing on August 20, and requires sellers to make refund in any case where they have charged over these rates. The debate on the Bill revealed an unexpectedly strong bodv of opinion against the duty of fourpence per gallon on kerosene. Memb?r after member urged that this portion of the new war tax should he dropped. Ministers had nothing to say 011 the subject at that stage, since the principle of taxes could not properly be discussed on a Bill that was intended to meet a temporary cnier<H)py ( but, if they counted heads, they liave realised thevi were goin»'to have .'lifficulty in persuading the House to accept the kerosene duty, Undoubtedly a division will be called for on the point when the Taxation Bill is under consideration. Persons who object to taxing housewives' and 'farmers' kerosene will see in this development another of the benefits of non-party Government. A Government constituted in the ordinary way could force the House to accept an unpopular tax by making the issue one of ''no-confidence." The National Ministry has no such resources, and must bring the House to its way of thinking, if it can, by argument. Ministers may succeed in convincing the majority of members that the kerosene duty is necessary, hut it looks at the moment as if they will have to get that £40,090 bvi some othei'' means.