POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 638, 25 July 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[FROM OVE OWN COBHESPONDENT,] Wellington, lest night. The Premier informs me that the all-round tax on land is to be a penny in the £ as proposed in the Financial Statement, It is proposed that the tax on business shall be— L3OO exemption as in the Bill, sixpence in pound from L3OO to LlOOO, and above LlO,OOO one shilling, The tax upon salaries and emoluments is the same as proposed in the Financial Statement—from L3OO te L5OO, threepence in the pound j above tbe L5OO, sixpence. Probably Mr Rees' Bill for cancelling the appointments to the Council, having passed its second reading on the voices, will be kept well down on the order paper, and practically shelved, Although Ministers strongly condemn the action of their predecessors in reoommending the appointments, they evidently consider it their duty to protect the Governor, and on a division would most likely all be found voting against the Bill. Sir George Grey, however, has decided to test the feeling of the House on the more important question of abolishing the second chamber.

It is set out in the petition presented to the House by the Gisborne Harbor Board, that they practically constructed their harbor works under the approval of the Marine Department, and that they had been precluded by Act from spending any sum in excess of L 65.000 of their L 200,000 loan, without the sanction of Parliament, Tbe Board have been unable to complete the works, and had had to lay up the plant. The Government had sent Mr O’Connor, Marine Engineer, who recommended an expenditure of L 23.000 to provide a harbor with 21 feet, utilising the incomplete works. The Board now asks for a grant of L 12.000, and state that they have plant valued at LBOOO which can be sold by Government for that purpose. Following up the promise made to a deputation of members, on Wednesday night the Premier announced his intention to introduce a Payment of Members Bill this session. The Bill will provide for the payment of members yearly instead of per session. It will be proposed further to pay Legislative Councillors Ll5O per annum, and members of the House of Representatives L 240 per annum.

The Distillation Act Amendment Bill in troduced by the Premier provides for the granting of wine-still licenses to the owner or occupier of any vineyard containing not lees than two acres planted with grape vines, and in actual cultivation, on payment of an annual license fee of LIO.