The Life and Work of Richard John Seddon/Appendix

by James Mackay Drummond

Appendix.

 

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Old Age Pensions.

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The following table gives the numbers of pensions in force at the end of each financial year (March 31) since the Old Age Pensions Act came into operation in 1899, and the gross payments made in each year:—

Year.	Pensions in Force.	Gross Payment.
		£
1899	7,443	3,124
1900	11,285	157,342
1901	12,405	197,292
1902	12,776	207,468
1903	12,481	210,140
1904	11,926	203,164
1905	11,770	195,475
1906	12,582	254,367
	Gross Total	£1,428,372

 

Women’s Franchise

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The following tables show the share taken in elections by women since they were granted the franchise, as compared with the voting of the male population:—

Date of Election.	Estimated Total Adult Males.	Number of Men on Rolls.	Proportion of Adult Males Registered as Electors.	Number who Voted.	Proportion of Males on Rolls who Voted.
1893	179,539	193,536	[1]	129,792	69·61[2]
1896	197,002	196,925	99·96	449,471	75·90
1899	214,773	210,529	98·02	159,780	79·06[2]
1902	233,602	229,845	98·39	180,294	78·44
1905	[3]	263,597	[3]	221,611	84·07

Date of Election.	Estimated Total Adult Females.	Number of Women on Rolls.	Proportion of Adult Females Registered as Electors.	Number who Voted.	Proportion of Females on Rolls who Voted.
1893	139,471	109,461	78·48	90,290	85·18[2]
1896	159,656	142,305	89·13	108,783	76·44
1899	171,373	163,215	95·24	119,550	75·70[2]
1902	195,783	185,944	94·97	138,565	74·52
1905	[3]	212,876	[3]	175,046	82·28

 

The Land and Income Tax.

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The combined land and income tax is still (1906) in force.

The land tax is the more important part of the dual impost. It is assessed on the unimproved value, that is, the capital value (or gross saleable value), less the value of all improvements. An owner of land the unimproved value of which, together with mortgages owing to him, does not exceed £1,500 (after deducting mortgages owing to him) is allowed an exemption of £500, but where such value exceeds £1,500 the exemption diminishes by £1 for every £2 that such value increases, so that no exemption is allowable when £2,500 is reached. If the total unimproved value of land in any assessment amounts to £5,000 or over, graduated land tax is payable on it (in addition to ordinary land tax) in graduations beginning at the rate of 1/16d. in the pound, and increasing by sixteenths to the maximum rate of 3d. in the pound. Mortgages are not chargeable with graduated tax, but, on the other hand, they are not deductible in assessments for graduated land tax. Owing to the deductions and exemptions allowable the number of land tax payers is only 22,778 as compared with the number of land-owners, 115,712. Fifty per cent. additional on the amount of the graduated tax is levied where the owners have been resident out of the colony for a period of not less than one year next preceding the date of the passing of the annual taxing Act. The Act contains a provision that in cases where the income from any land or mortgages, plus income from all other sources, is less than £200 per annum, and the owner is incapacitated by age or infirmity from supplementing such income, a further exemption may be allowed by the Commissioner upon his being satisfied that the payment of the tax would entail hardship on such owner. This discretionary power has been exercised in a considerable number of instances, especially in the case of widows and orphans with small means, and much hardship prevented. All mortgages are assessed at their full nominal value, except where it is satisfactorily shown that owing to depreciation of the security or other cause such value has been diminished. In the case of mixed mortgages—that is, mortgages which are secured on both real and personal property—the amount of the mortgage chargeable with land tax is taken to be the assessed value of the land included in the security, the interest derived from the balance of mortgage being liable to income tax.

The income tax is generally assessable on income, with the exceptions of the rents or profits derived from the direct use or cultivation of land, and interest from mortgages of land. All incomes are exempt up to £300. This amount is taken off the incomes of all taxpayers, so that persons with a net income of £300 would pay nothing, while one with an income of £350 would pay tax on £50 only, and so on. The system of graduation may be described as the total exemption of small incomes up to £300, a tax of 6d. in the pound on moderate incomes between £300 and £1,300, and on larger incomes over £1,300 at 6d. in the pound on the first £1,000 and 1s. in the pound on the excess.

The rates of the taxes are as follows:—

Income tax—
On the first £1000 of taxable incomes after allowance of exemption of £300 and life-insurance premiums up to £50		6d. in the pound.
On incomes in excess of £1,300		1/-in the pound.
Companies (no exemption)		1/-in the pound.
Land tax—
Ordinary land tax (on the unimproved value)		1d. in the pound.
Graduated land tax (in addition to ordinary land tax)		1/16d. to 3d. in the pound.
Mortgages (on the capital value)		¾d. in the pound.

The net assessed incomes, after allowing all exemptions, amount to £5,522,200; the net assessed taxable value of land and mortgages, after allowing all exemptions, is £70,117,760. There are about 9,000 income tax payers in the colony. The land tax yields £350,000 a year and the income tax £250,000.

MR SEDDON’S COLLEAGUES.

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The following tables give the names of Mr. Seddon’s colleagues:—

The Ballance Ministry—1891–93.

Name.	Office.	Remarks.
Hon. J. Ballance ...	Premier	Jan. 24, 1891, to death, April 27, 1893.
	Colonial Treasurer	Jan. 24, 1891, to death, April 27, 1893.
	Minister for Native Affairs ...	Jan. 24, 1891, to Feb. 4, 1891, succeeded by Sir A. J. Cadman.
	Commissioner of Trade and Customs	Jan. 24, 1891, to death, April 27, 1893.
	Commissioner of Stamp Duties	Feb. 4, 1891, to May 28, 1892, succeeded by Mr. Reeves.
Sir P. A. Buckley ...	Attorney-General	Jan. 24, 1891, to May 1, 1893.
	Colonial Secretary	Jan. 24, 1891, to May 1, 1893.
	Postmaster-General ...	Jan. 24, 1891, to Feb. 4, 1891, succeeded by Sir Joseph Ward.
Hon. W. P. Reeves ...	Minister for Education	Jan. 24, 1891, to May 1, 1893.
	Minister for Justice...	Jan. 24, 1891, to May 28, 1892, succeeded by Sir A. J. Cadman.
	Commissioner of Stamp Duties	May 28, 1892, to May 1, 1893.
	Minister for Labour	May 31, 1892, to May 1, 1893.
Sir John McKenzie ...	Minister for Lands and Immigration and Agriculture	Jan. 24, 1891, to May 1, 1893.
Sir A. J. Cadman ...	Commissioner of Stamp Duties	Jan. 29, 1891, to Feb. 4, 1891, succeeded by Mr. Ballance.
	Minister for Native Affairs	Appointed Feb. 4, 1891.
	Minister for Justice	May 28, 1892, to May 1, 1893
Sir J. G. Ward ...	Postmaster-General and Electric Telegraph Commissioner	Feb. 4, 1891, to May 1, 1893
Hon. J. Carroll ...	Member of Executive without portfolio, representing the Native race	Mar. 16, 1892, to May 1, 1893

The Seddon Ministry—1893–1906.

Name.	Office.	Remarks.
Sir P. A. Buckley ...	Attorney-General, Colonial Secretary	Took office May 1, 1893 resigned Dec. 20, 1895.
	Minister for Marine ...	May 1 to Oct. 13, 1893, succeeded by Sir Joseph Ward.
Hon. W. P. Reeves	Minister for Education ...	May 1, 1893, to Jan. 10, 1896, resigned.
	Commissioner of Stamp Duties	May 1, 1893, to Jan. 10, 1896, resigned.
	Minister for Labour ...	May 1, 1893, to Jan. 10, 1896, resigned.
	Minister for Justice ...	July 20, 1893, to Sept. 6, 1893, succeeded by Sir A. J. Cadman.
Sir John McKenzie ...	Minister for Lands ...	May 1, 1893, to June 27, 1900, resigned, succeeded by Hon. T. Y. Duncan.
	Minister for Immigration ...	May 1, 1893, to March 2, 1896, succeeded by Hon. W. C. Walker.
	Minister for Agriculture ...	May 1, 1893, to June 27, 1900, resigned, succeeded by Hon. T. Y. Duncan.
	Commissioner of Forests ...	May 1, 1893, to June 27, 1900, resigned.
Sir J. G. Ward ...	Colonial Treasurer ...	May 1, 1893, to June 16, 1896, resigned.
	Postmaster-General ...	May 1, 1893, to June 16, 1896, resigned.
	Electric Telegraph Commissioner	May 1, 1893, to June 16, 1896, resigned.
	Commissioner of Customs ...	May 1, 1893, to June 16, 1896, resigned.
	Minister for Marine ...	Oct. 13, 1893, to June 16, 1896, resigned.
	Minister of Industries and Commerce	Jan. 20, 1894, to March 2, 1896, resigned.
	Colonial Secretary ...	Dec. 21, 1899, to June 10, 1906.
	Postmaster-General ...	Dec. 21, 1899, to June 10, 1906.
	Electric Telegraph Commissioner	Dec. 21, 1899, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister of Industries and Commerce	Dec. 21, 1899, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister for Railways ...	Jan. 5, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister for Public Health	Nov. 8, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. J. McGowan ...	Minister for Justice ...	Jan 23, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister for Mines ...	Jan. 23, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
Sir A. J. Cadman ...	Minister for Justice ...	May 1, 1893, to June 20, 1893, resigned.
	Native Minister ... ...	May 6, 1893, to June 20, 1893, resigned.
	Minister for Justice ...	Sept. 6, 1893, to Feb. 20, 1896, succeeded by Hon. W. Hall-Jones.
	Minister for Mines ...	Sept. 6, 1893, to Dec. 21, 1899, resigned
Sir A. J. Cadman ...	Minister for Railways ...	Jan. 1, 1895, to Dec. 21, 1899, resigned.
	Member of Executive Council, without portfolio	Dec. 21, 1899, till death.
Hon. J. Carroll ...	Member of Executive Council without portfolio, representing Native race	May 1, 1893, to June 10, 1906.
	Commissioner of Stamp Duties	Feb. 20, 1896, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister of Native affairs ...	Dec. 21, 1899, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. W. C. Walker	Member of Executive Council	Feb. 20, 1896, to June 20, 1903, resigned.
	Minister for Immigration ...	March 2, 1896, to June 20, 1903, resigned, succeeded by Mr. Seddon.
	Minister for Education ...	March 11, 1896, to June 20, 1903, resigned, succeeded by Mr. Seddon.
Hon. W. Hall-Jones	Member of Executive Council	Feb. 20, 1896.
	Minister for Justice ...	Feb. 20, 1896, to March 2, 1896, resigned, succeeded by Hon. T. Thompson.
	Minister for Public Works	March 2, 1896, to June 10, 1906.
	Minister for Marine ...	June 22, 1896, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. C. H. Mills ...	Commissioner of Trade and Customs	Oct. 29, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. T. Thompson...	Member of Executive Council	Feb. 22, 1896, to Dec. 21, 1899.
	Minister for Justice ...	March 2, 1896, to Dec. 21, 1899, succeeded by Hon. J. McGowan.
	Minister of Industries and Commerce	March 2, 1896, to Dec. 21, 1899, succeeded by Sir Joseph Ward.
	Minister for Defence ...	June 22, 1896, to Dec. 21, 1899, succeeded by Mr. Seddon.
Hon. T. Y. Duncan	Minister for Lands and Agriculture	July 2, 1900, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. W. Montgomery	Member of Executive Council	July 19, 1898, to Nov. 7, 1895, resigned.
Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau te Wherowhero	Member of Executive Council	May 22, 1903, to June 10, 1906.
Hon. A. Pitt ...	Member of Executive Council and Attorney-General	June 22, 1903, to June 10, 1906.

On the death of Mr. Seddon, Mr. Hall-Jones was appointed Premier until Sir Joseph Ward’s return to the colony. Sir Joseph then took the Premiership, and formed a new Ministry.

 

1. The number on the rolls was in excess of the estimated adult male population at the date of the Elections.
2. Excluding figures for three Electorates in which there was no contest.
3. Figures not available.