THE TAXATION BILLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1915, Page 2

THE TAXATION BILLS.

PUT THROUGH ALL STAGES. " By Telegraph.—'Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. After the telegraph office closed this moirning, Mr. See's amendment was put, but as no second teller could be found supporting the amendment no division was taken. The second reading was then carried on the voices and the House went into committee on the Bill, At clause 33 Mr, (Pearce moved to strike the clause out, as an indication that the beer duty be increased to 6d a gallon. The amendment was lost by 48 to 9. i ' "The remaining clauses passed without opposition and comparative little discussion. At 3.30 the Bill was reported y/'iih verba] amendments moved by the ' Minister. On the House resuming, the amend- : mutts were agreed to. On il;a motion for the third rsadlng. '•■fr. Vvebb defended the iLabov 'Ffiviy against the ohargp that thev favored single tax. Mr. AfcCombs declared that, as the result of the Budget, the cost of living would he raised by a million pounds, or at the rate of £5 per family. Messrs Pearce and Harris, Dr. Newman and Mr. Field (Xelaon) also spoke. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said no sane man could say the Budget put burdens on the working classes. Compared with the British workmen the imposts put upon them were extremely light, therefore criticism by extremists inside and outside the House was undeserved. As a matter of fact, the Budget was taking £332,000 from the landowners of the Dominion. That, he thought, was sufficient for one session. Anyone who wanted to take more came precious near being a single-taxcr. With regard to the increase in the beer duty, he resisted it because information in his possession convinced lain that if the duty were increased many of the smaller breweries must close and leave the larger breweries in a more secure monopoly than ever. The change in the method of assessing the beer dutv was entirely at the request of the Cus'toms officials, and it was not true that brewers met members of the National i Cabinet for the purpose of arranging the 1 rate. , The third reading was then carried and the Bill passed." The House rose at 4.55 ajn. ,''