GROWTH OF LAND VALUES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8530, 9 April 1913, Page 5

GROWTH OF LAND VALUES.

A STRIKING ILLUSTRATION.

A striking illustration of the necessity for the. taxation of land values ,w»f»- , aiven by the Lord Advocate of, Scotland Mr TJre) at. a meeting-lately 111 support of the Progressive candidates for North , and West St.' Pancras. ' "One hundred years ago,' said Mr . Ure, "this parish, which contains 2000 acr4, was a rural parish. The population was some 600 only, and the rental value of the whole was something like £6600. As .far back as wi can go, that is 1639, we find a penny rate m bt. Pandas would raise 39 sovereigns. «To- ' day a\ penny raie would raise & t^ and the gross rental value amounts to^ - £2,100,000. ' ■ l . , , "This increase in the \a]ao oi iamJ rental is very remarkable. To what * it due? To nothing the owners of the land have done to it or spent upon it. It is entirely due to the enterprise, -expenditure, and growth, of iho com- . mmritv. This increase in valno, ought. to , offer its contr.ibutiou to the needs of 'the- coimmity." -- \ :-,''' , ', Ctontmuing, Mr VtosM ,tho«4 were , mrvnv Borvicps for which a large parl-ol - iho * expenditure was rawed locally whu;ii were really national , w-rvicea, huoh as Uie;apkoep'or mam kkuw. edueaiitm, polico, etc. Ho woui.l «>e xi» favour or moving ,th«* Rivjtcr part ot iheat charges on to the taxef and r«thicing the rate?.