PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9663, 30 November 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DEATH DUTIES BILL. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 29. In the House this afternoon the Premier moved the second reading of the Death Duties Bill, which he said combined the two principles of estate duty and legacy duty. Death duties was recognised to be the fairest and most equitable of taxes being imposed on people who did not earn the wealth taxed. The .Bill provided for a graduated scale of duties framed, with the object of the distribution of wealth before rather than after death. Many estates had escaped, duties by gifts during life, but theBill prevented this. It was generallyrecognised that increased deathduties were necessary, just and*

equitable. Mr J. Allen (Bruce) admitted thejustice of the Bill, but criticised! several features, including the distinction drawn between Maori hus- j band and wife. He thought that the' exemption of legacy duty might be raised from £SOO to £I,OOO. Inregard to death duties the position of a widow might be that her* estate might pay duty when passing to her and again at her death,, which might happen shortly after.

Mr T. M. Wilford (Hutt) said; that it was impossible to frame taxation on gifts, that could not be* evaded. Marriage settlements madeby deed had to pay duty, but evasion* could be made by cash payments. Mr F. E. Baume (Auckland East); expressed satisfaction with the Bill.. He would like to see the Premier take into consideration the increasing of the graduation from the point at which it stopped, whichi was his chief objection to the Bill. Mr A. L. Herdman (Wellington North) did not object to the principle of the Bill, but did object to tbe increased taxation, which had been rendered necessary by the gross extravagance of the Government within the past two years. f

, Mr G. Laoranson (Lytteltbn) said that the increased taxation was largely due to increased prjspenty entailing expenditure in the direction of developing public services. Mr W. H. Herries (Tauranga) said the Bill would have the heai f y support of the House. The details of the Bill, however, required at tention to ensure justice.

The Premier, in the course of his reply, said that there was not sufficient inducement in the Bill to» make it worth while for people having removable property to leave the Dominion in order to escape > taxation. He would not agree witb Mr Allen's suggestions that the exemption in legacies should be raised from £SOO to £I,OOO, nor that a husband should be placed on the same level as a wife in the case of death duties, nor to the suggestion that marriage settlement exemption should extend to gifts from a father to his daughter as a wedding gift. The second reading was agreed to.

SHIPPING AND SEAMEN'S ACT AMENDMENT. In the House in the evening the Hon. J. A. Miliar moved the second reading ot the Shipping and Seamen's Act Amendment Bill, which, he explained, embodies most of the recommendations adopted at the Im- v perial Maritime Conference. Mr Herries hoped the provisions of the Bill would be made to apply to steamers and launches- run on Jakes, by the Tourist and Railway Departments.

Mr Wilford congratulated the Government upon the provision which grants power to the Governor to ap • point inspectors to inspect wool, flax, tow and skins befoie shipment. Mr Poole was gratified to know that many disabilities under - which seafaring men labour would be removed by the Bill. The Bill was read a second time.