PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

LEGISLATIVE CCUNC& By Telegraph.—Press Asfeodj&SMl. Wellington, :Last The council passed tlie second reading of the Juries Act Amendment Bill by 'l3 to 2. The committee wiOodhi' taken neit -week. HOUSE OF REPRESEMXS3OM3B MINISTERS' EEPUBS. Replying to Mr. Poole, the (Premie# saui it was not a. fact that next year's utter output, liad been purchased by the Government at Is 4d. The negotiations had reached a stage when be was awe to report to Cabinet, but they were not final yet. At a later stage, replying m Mr. Walker, the Premier said fch.o !»■' terests of the consuming public were not • being overlooked in these negotiaticmk v.:plying to Mr. Anderson, Mr. Maescy sard a very large proportion of the daily companies had paid the bnttsrfai lew. Replying to Mr. Webb, Hon. W. Frasor said his officers reported to him that the ventilation of the Otira tunnel wae *' being kept as clear as possible, asnd lie did not believe otherwise. He would, however, ask for a fuller report, and if it proved that the men should only work m the atmosphere for six hours he would ' have arrangements made accordingly. He, however, must point out thatan' effori; was being made by,all the employe® to have the hours reduced to she for a® eight-hours day pay, and he was not going to do.it, even if he had to stopper work. ' ; THE BUDGET DEBATE. Resuming the debate on the BtttlgfA* air. A. Walker said he hoped Parliament would see that the bonus to civH servants was devoted exclusively, to men Teceiviji? salaries of £3OO and less. He thou Hit future war taxation would have to go in the direction of direct eonscrip- ' lion of wealth. The Government ought, L outbreak of the war, to have gone m extensively for commandeering foo$«, stulls, and 1 hi. speaker suggested a genr oral reshuffling of Ministerial portfolio# a Wiw necessary for the' efficient administration of Government departments. The graduation of the amusement ta?j was ■ most inequitable,. for at least the aim penny ticket should be free. He felt confident the people were not satisfied with the administration' of the Government, ' and an appeal to the electors was the only way to clear up the point. FINANCE MINISTER'S REPLY. , Sir Joseph Ward rose at 8.45 p.m..to. . reply. He thanked the Hoti<=e for the cordiality with whidi the Budget had' been received. He defended the payment of increases to large salaries for special services, on the ground that all priva'-e • businesses recognised such services, "and , unless the Government did so they would ■ have to pay a much larger sum to special ■ officers. Only -£2OOO had been spent ilk this way, not a penny of'which came ; out of the ,£-K)ft,ooo voted for a WSJ* bonus to men with small salaries. Be-. : ferring to the tax on tea, he .said it was true there were other avenues Of taxation, but he warned the House that those avenues might have to be fully utilised before the war was over. Ha ■ defended the abolition of the profits tax, ; ' on the grounds that it was incapable of producing the revenue required. He pro- : ferred to rely on a progressive land and income tax as heing more equitable in its incidence. No one could ever dream > of imposing a profits tax o» the basis of , a price tax, having regard to the foe*' that three million of revenue was required. Referring to the land and fan come tax, he declared the proposals Wider the Budget would claim 40 per cent, of many incomes. Some trosipess firms ' would be called upon to pay 13s in the £, and if the House desired to further than that. He did not be- ' lieve in extracting more taxation from the people than was necessary. Many : members urged increased taxation on ' land, but their proposals would lead to some land paying taxation higher than the unimproved value of land, and tfmt would be simply ruinous When th» - Taxing Bill came down relief would bo given to the small men with inortgagaa. Mortgages as a wliola oould not bo exempt unless the whole Land revenue was , going to slip away. Tlie moment the door was left open in connection with 1 taxation it was surprising how many people tried to get' through it, and, witfc i-ho aiUicJ of '.lever lawyers, they frequently succeeded. It had. been "urged that the death duties should be increM* ed, but he prefeired to wait and see. Wo Jioulil soon have ten millions in the reserve fund which, if not used for WJyr piii'poses, can later on be used in tl» reduction of war loans', iWaiiy taxpayers were eve;; borrowing to pay taxes tjffcl ■" year without squealing, but this pointed . to the. necessity for not ruining anypue by taxation. There would bo proposals, to relieve small shareholders m earn..panics. looking ui tlie future of .Itho j "liquor trailic, he thought tilio public opinion'was tending in the direction of Stote control, and some Government; woiild 'have to face this fact. He deprecatud.itlte ■; cry against luxuries, including motorcars. Too heavy a taxation hjwa the effect of keeping tlii-m oilt of \thtf ' country, and destroy revenue, and rev.enue we must, have. Reverting to the i war loan, he declared that unless ithe ■ loan was raised at 4% per cent, free: of ' income tax, it would'have to he floatoi \ at fi% per cent., and the effect wouW \ unquestionably he that rates <$ interest' would have to be raised by all lending institutions, including the fo Settlers Department, and that was ;»ot desirable. He spoke appreciatively at ■ General Gouley, : and regretted he been attacked in the House before having a chance to say anything in his own de« • fence. The House then went into committee, of supply on the estimates. < ■ . The first item of the estimates w«j ■<. passed at 12.42 a.m., and the House rcaa, .