IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2581, 16 August 1909, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

the debate on the land tax

MR BALFOUR’S PERTINENT CRI-

TICbSM

UNITED PKESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT TiONDON, August 13.

Mr W. Rutherford, Conservative member for West Derby, moved an amendment, that ;a tenant undertaking to develop land "should pay the duty

until the owner recovered possession. The Attorney-General said the owner

A\ad already protection against a tent failing in development. In the amount of duty ho paid would be included damages awarded. The Hon. A. L. Stanley, Liberal member for Eddisbury, declared that the Government’s course was an interesting one. The amendment put very severe strain on his party loyalty. Mr Balfour, who was much cheered, remarked: ‘ 'According to the AttorneyGeneral an owner is compelled to pay the duty because the tenant had not fulfilled his obligations, and we must launch a law suit to evict him. Thus the landlord is expected to enforce his rights to the uttermost farthing. This, forsooth, was the advice of a Government whose members described landlords as blackmailers.”

Mr Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said cases such as those mentioned would be rare. The amendment was negatived by 192 to 87.

Clause 13, providing for the recovery of the undeveloped land duty, contracts to the contrary notwithstanding, was carried by 179 to 51. AN IRISH BY-ELECTION. NATIONALIST RETURNED UNOPPOSED. Mr Matthew Keating, a Nationalist, has been returned unopposed for Kilkenny South in place of Mr N. Murphy (Nationalist) who resigned. THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE. A MEMBERSHIP OF TWO MILLION The Primrose League membership has reached two million.

W” [The Primrose League, a Conservative ■Association, admitting both sexes to membership, was founded in 1883. On The anniversary of Lord Beaconsfield’s death every member wears a hunch of primroses. The enrolled members in October last numbered 1,93-1,268. Mr A. J. Balfour is the present- Grand .Master.]

SPEECH BY THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER. QUOTES NEW ZEALAND AS A PRECEDENT. (Received August 15, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 14. The Appropriation Bill has been read a third time in the House of Commons. Clause 14 of the Finance Bill, relating to the total value and the site value of land, was adopted by 112 to 38. Mr. Lloyd-George emphasised the fact that -similar objections to those pressed against this clause had been urged when like proposals were introduced in New Zealand. Nevertheless, these were working smoothly, and New Zealand had offered a Dreadnought out of her - own. taxes. He predicted that the Opposition some day would congratulate themselves upon the resources placed ■at their disposal by the present proposal.