OPPOSITION "STONEWALL."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 4 August 1913, Page 4

OPPOSITION "STONEWALL."

The "stonewall" set up by the Opposition in the House of Representatives on Friday night on the Land and Income Assessment Bill was one of the most discreditable exhibitions that have been witnessed in the Parliamentary Chamber for many years past. The measure itself is one of the most Liberal that have been brought down since the late Mr Seddon occupied the Treasury benches. Its object is to relieve from the income tax heads of families earning less than! £450 per year. Everybody is aware that the cost of living has increased considerably since the £3OO exemption was introduced, and that a ,man with a family is off: to-day; with.. £4OO than the man without a family was a few years back who was in receipt of £.300. The Opposition contends that relief should first T>e extended to those with salaries of less than £3OO. That is purely and simply a question of arrangement. When Sir Joseph Ward was m office he proposed increasing the exemption under the land tax, owing to values of land having gone up. We heard no complaint then by the Opposition about the working man having been denied relief. Why then", is the present howl set up against a measure of relief to the comparatively poor man with a faultily? •Is it not, purely and simply, a piece of obstruction based upon hypocrisy, jealousy, and obstinacy ? The Prime, Minister hag signified his intention of bringing down legislation to reduce the cost of living to the masses. . ißy obstructing the Liberal measure that is designed to relieve the man with a family, the Opposition is prejudicing the possibility of other humanitarian legislation being brought down. And this is what is termed "Liberalism."