LAND AND INCOME TAX

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 255, 26 September 1929, Page 6

LAND AND INCOME TAX

bill before parliament. DEPUTATIONS TO BE RECEIVED. (By. Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 25. In moving the second reading of the Land and Income Tax Biff this afternoon Sir Joseph Ward stated that deputations had sought appointment.; with him to discuss the bill and he hint intimated that lie would be pleased to receive deputations at any time before'the committee stages of the bill It was necessary to go on with the hit, in order that the department might send out its notices, but he had arranged that the provisions would not operate until 19th February. He was doing that in fairness to the taxpayers. Bv that time he anticipated that those affected would be in the position to m . e t the demands made upon them since the biff was introduced. He had received numerous representations and as a result of inquiries the proposals contained in the Budget had been modified in certain respects. RURAL PARTNERSHIPS.

In the House of Representatives today Rev. C. Carr, Labour member who represents Timaru, suggested that the Prime Minister should protect the interests of rural partnerships in the matter of land taxation under his new Sir Joseph Ward replied that, to prevent evasion, a partnership was assessed for land tax as a single owner. There appeared to be no reason why the ordinary land tax provision in that connection should be departed from for the purpose of special land tax, especially as a hardship clause was being provided. In tho income tax, tho income of each partner was separately assessed.

TAXING THE FARMERS. Mr H. S. Kyle, the Reform member for Iticcarton, said that yesterday afternoon he introduced a deputation _ consisting of Mr Norton Francis, president of the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce, which presented to the Prime Minister the resolutions that were carried at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury farmers on Monday afternoon. He understood that the Prime Minister gave a definite promise that he would not bring on the Taxation Bill until the amended proposals put forward by the Chamber of Commerce were considered. He was surprised that early this morning the Prime Minister should have stated that he was bringing the bill on to-day. He had sent a telegram to _Mr Norton Francis, who had replied in the following terms: “The Prime Minister stated that he would postpone the Taxation Bill awaiting an investigation of the proposed amendment.” The Prime Minister said that he did not promise to withhold the bill from the second reading. After the second reading he was prepared to be interviewed by persons interested, provided the representations were made within a reasonable period. NOT SATISFIED.

“This bill will not satisfy me,” said Mr W. J. Poison, the member for Stratford and president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, in the debate on the Government’s Land Taxing Bill to-night. The .bill, added Mr Poison, imposed too great a burden on tire working farmer of the country. It was not going to increase settlement because it was going to add to the cost of working the land, and in certain cases it would undoubtedly reduce land values. In some cases it would practically moan, confiscation of the property. (Hear! Hear!). Ho was more inclined to favour an income tax instead of land tax. Cries of “Hear! Hearl” and “Como over here!” from Reform members. ABSENT MINISTERS.

At one stage of the debate on Sir Joseph Ward's land taxing biff this afternoon there was but a sparse representation of the Cabinet on the Ministerial benches, and Air T. H. Armstrong (Christchurch East) drew attention to the fact. The bill, he suggested, should be taken more seriously by the Ministers of the Crown. For three months now the House of Representatives had been discussing things of little importance as compared with the measure now before the House. The bill should not be allowed to go through without Ministers of the Crown taking part in the debate or without replying to the criticism already offered. Air W. D. Lysnar, who followed, spoko in. a similar strain.