POLITICAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1919, Page 7

POLITICAL NEWS.

THE NEW WAR LOAN. . COMPULSORY SUBSCRIPTIONS, (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Last Night. The fact that persons with large investments in War Loans may escape compulsory investment to the new loan was mentioned in the House by Mr. Anstey (Waitaki), who said the demand for subscriptions was going to press heavily on some business men who nad already paid very heavy war taxation. Would the Minister for Finance take steps to compel persons with large incomes who had not paid taxation to subscribe before applying compulsion to | the men who had paid the taxes? Investors in war loans did not pay any ta£. Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North] said the people who should be forced to subscribe were the people who were drawing large tax-free incomes from investments in war loans. Would they be brought within the compulsory provisions? The • Minister replied that the point would require very careful consideration, and the question had better be placed on the Order Paper to give him time to look into th? matter. "Having regard to the deficiency of £2,000,000' in the subscriptions to the War Loan, does the Minister for Finance anticipate that by bringing into operation the compulsory clauses of the Finance Act he will secure an amount sufficient to make up the deficiency?" asked the Hon. A. M. Myers (Auckland East). Sir James Allen: It is not possible for me to say until we try. The Hon A. M. Myers: Have you had an estimate made? Sir Jas. Allen: have had an estimate made of the total, but a good many people have subscribed beyond the compulsory amount. I think I can assure the honorable member, as I have done before, that the loan will be all right. ASSISTANCE TO SOLDIERS. The Minister for Lands stated to-day that the difficulty of soldier settlers in getting financial assistance beyond the Government loan was covered fully in the Discharged Soldiers' Setltement Ac* just passed. The Government in the past had taken a first mortgage to cover the advance made on the land and a second mortgage to cover any advance made for stock or improvements. This had left the soldiers with nothing better than a third mortgage to offer in security for additional stock and the arrangement admittedly had pressed hardly on some of the men. The Land BoaTds were now empowered to accept a first mortgage for all the Government advance, leaving the soldiers in the positon to give a second mortgage to any company or person who was making an advance. POLITICS AND THE CHURCH. A published statement that there was a connection between Mr. Massey's election manifesto and certain utterances of the Protestant Political Association was mentioned in the House to-day. Mr. McCallum (Wairau), said that sort of thing was making political life unpleasant. "One of my opponents happens to be a Roman Catiiolic," he stated, "but I don't desire votes to be cast for me because I am a Protestant. If religious controversy is to be brought into the public life of the country then public life will not be worth following up at all. I have no great wisn to win an election if the test is to be whether I am a Protestant or a Catholic. These men are making public life very difficult for those who will do the right thing." Mr. Massey denied that the Protestant Political Association had anything to do with his manifesto. Mr. Howard Elliott had said that there was practically no Reform Party. "I am quite confident that he knows nothing about it," stated Mr. Massey. "I huve the best of reasons for believing that the principles of the Reform Party were never so popular as they are at present date. I feel as strongly as Mr, McCallum does about mixing up religion and politics. I hope and believe that the party I lead will have the Support of every section of the Christian Church." Mr. Wilford: You did not repudiate it. Mr. Massey: I did repudiate it I repudiate any connection with Mr. Howard Elliott and anyone connected with him.