PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8538, 19 September 1907, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LAND TAX BILL,

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September 18. In the House in the evening the Premier postponed several orders of the day, to bring on a motion in Committee regarding the Land Tax Bill; a course of action which caused Mr W. F. Massey to complain of the want of courtesy to his side of the House. The Premier persisted and explained that the aim of the Government had hitherto been to settle the people's lands, but the efforts having failed it was found necessary to submit three Bills dealing with the land question for the consideration of the House. Closer settlement was essential, and some method enabling the landless to get upon the land had to be devised, and the present Bill was the means towards this end. The progressive tax was fixed as from £40,000, and the increase of taxation represented about £90,000; additionaltaxation between £20,000, and £40,000 would only add £4,000 to the revenue. Under the proposals submitted large holders would not be able to continue their holdings, nor would they be able to pass on part of the holdings nominally to members of their family for evasion of the tax, nor would private companies escape under the present Bill as they had hitherto clone. Mr Massey contended that, according to the Premier's figures, the Bill was unnecessary, as they showed that subdivision was steadily taking place. The first lands to settle were those held by the Crown. Private estates should not be cut up for the disposal of the excess of land until the death of the owner. The Publi: Accounts Committee, Mr Massey agreed, had improved the Bill, especially in striking out the clause which compelled a man to spy into the actions of his neighbour. Improvement had also been made in regard to the original proposal in connection with the tax on timber. He, however, held that there should be no tax on standing timber. A serious objection to the graduated land tax was the discrimination between the mortgaged and unmortgaged land. He contended that the Bill had been driving the people out of the colony. If there was to be a graduated tax on land, as was proposed, the tax on incomes should be on a similar basis, and the effect of the Bill would be to militate against, rather than facilitate, settlement. The discussion is proceeding.

CABLE J^&WS.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph copyright.