PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 19 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. ■ The House of Bepresentatives metat 2.30 p.m. The following Bills were introduced by Governor's message and read a first time:—Beer Duty Amendment, Rangitikei Land Drainage Amendment, Education Amendment. Hauraki Plains Amendment, Shipping and Seamen's Amendment, and Public Revenue Amendment. EDUCATION BILL. The Hon. J. Allen explained some of the provisions of the Education Bill. He said he hoped next year to deal with salaries, staffing, and superannuation. He had been able to raise the incrememts for teachers from £5 to £lO annually. There were 3212 teachers in the country and 2424 of those would be affected by the amendments. Provision was made for an increase of salaries of the lower grade teachers in the trailing colleges; an increase of the minimum salaries of Grade 1 from £9O to £100; also an increase of the minimum allowance to probationers. Next year it was proposed to, increase the salaries of all grades of teachers. ; The increase for probationers was £1270 annually. The Bill would not affect the staffing. Sir Joseph Ward said it would have been better to have brought down a comprehensive measure, dealing with the' whole subject of J education', instead of doing .it in a piecemeal ion.' ' 1 .i position members on the action of the Education: Committee in confining their'; attention- to secondalry education and university matters. „> The discussion jthen; assumed . a party aspeict, Government members contending that the Opposition had saton the Treasury benches for twenty-one years watffout effecting the desired reforms in educational matters, and the Opposition retaliating by accusing the Ministry of not going half far "enough with the Bill. The Hon. James Allen, in replying to criticism, said if dt were found necessary to further search for money for education, he would not hesitate to recommend that course to the Government. Members had to remember that he had increased the graduated land tax last year (£30,000 had resulted), and he was increasing the income-tax this year. Dealing with , the suggestion that the legislation was piecemeal, he held that ill legislation was piecemeal, and had to be amended from year to year. The cost of raising the minimum salaries from £9O to £IOO would be £2200 annually. PRIYMIMBEitS' DAYS. ' The Hon. W. F. Massey moved thai on and after" next' Wednesday, Government business take precedence on Wednesdays, Sir Joseph Ward protested against the taking away of private members' privileges'. He said it would be much better to extend the session than to take away private meinbers' days. The Hon Mr Massey admitted that private members, so far this session, had been sotaewhat unfortunate. Circumstances which lie could not control had taken up days which, in the ordinary course, would have'been devoted to private members' business.. He had done his best to give private members a chance, but had come to the conclusion thfct they were not. anxious ' to take advantage of it, There were certain Private * members' Bills which he was to give a chance to be discussed. The motion was carried. CONCILIATE AND ARBITIU- ■' tion. . . . The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill was read a second time, pro forma. LAND AND INOOME TAX. The Land Tax and Income Tax . Bill came up for consideration of the Committee's report. v Sir Joseph Ward announced that he had an amendment to move. He thought the Minister had not given much consideration to income tax on companies. If the Bill went, through in its present form, serious injustice' would be done to man, industries, manufacturers, small shareholders, and investors. He had had resolutions forwarded to Kim from many institutions in the Dominion, protesting against the provisions incorporated in the Bill. He favoured those who were well-to-do paying in proportion to their wealth. When the Bill was examined and its effects known, it would become because it ■ was a tax on industry and Manufactures. New Zealand had never before imposed an unfair tax upon the traders generally. He hoped the Premier would consider this aspect of tlfe question. He favoured ah individual being taxed upon a graduated scale. He also favoured a higher tax on unearned increments. The man who had a large sum of money left to him should be taxed higher than the man who earned his money by the sweat of his brow.' He moved to recommit the Bill, in order to reconsider the provisions far compamy and individual income tax. The Hon. J. Allen said there was no change in the Bill regarding the graduated income tax. . The principle was on the Statute- Book today. He had simply made it 2d higher. All he had put on to a company earning £IO,OOO in profits was £B3. He admitted that tlfcere were weak: nesses in the Bill, but , he could not see, at the present time, any possibility of overcoming them. He regretted he . could not support the amendment. Mr D. y Buddo objected to the imposition of a supertax which would have an injurious effect upon small

shareholders and struggling industries. Mr yigor Brown advocated taxing people who were in receipt of inoomes of two, three and fotir tiioiiß* and and onward, and not those indows and others -iwho were psn ; w-' ceipt of £3OO a year or so. Mr G. W. Russell said the Bill did not discriminate between! small shareholders and the large investor. He did not believe the Premier desired to tax a person who may be drawing £2OO or £BOO a year from a company, such being his only inoome. He believed the time would _ comewhen there would be a heavier graduation than that provided in respect to incomes. The Hon. W. F. Massey Baid the speeches of members showed how vers difficult the matter of taxation wa* to deal with. It was impossible, to exempt people of small income tram taxation under the present system. The English system was infinitely preferable, but it was difficult to introduce it here. There was no possibility of getting away from the present system this year. Next year he hoped for an improvement. If it were possible to discriminate between earned and unearned income, be believed in the system;