LAND NATIONALISATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 137, 11 June 1889, Page 5

LAND NATIONALISATION.

At the usual meeting of the Progressive League last evening, the subject of land nationalisation was further discussed. Mr C. T. Renshaw opened the discussion. _ He said that in new countries land was of little value ; but as civilisation progressed, land increased in value, caused by natural development, increase of population, etc. If this natural increase of value could be turned into proper channels for the public good, there would be no need for any other taxation. No one denied that what is produced by the people collectively, the people, as a whole (i.e. the Government), have the best right to. Land was the most natural source of revenue. The people as a whole make the land valuable, therefore they have the best righb to the rent. He considered that the abolition of all taxes on labour and its products would cause people to come to New Zealand in great numbers. Mr A. Withy said that as all wealth was made by labour, and ali incomes as well, if you" tax incomes you tax labour. Again, in the collection of an income tax, a man could very easily defraud the Government as to the amount. Mr Farrington said that advocates of the single tax forgot that when they taxed land they would tax the poor man who had perhaps put all his little capital and a lot of labour into it. Many companies make their money oub of things other than land ; gas, for example. Such companies would not be touched by a land tax to the extent they ought. Mr R. White thought the working of the land tax in China rather refuted the assertions of the single tax advocates. In China were large estates, some containing 50,000 acres, which were rented as high as 28s an acre in some cases. Mr T. White didn't understand tho meaning of monopoly of capital, and ho questioned if the single tax, pure and simple, was in operation in China. As for the big estates, *he couldn't see what harm they were, for they would have to pay the tax just in the same proportion as the small holdings. Mr West didn't believe in an income tax, as he thought it would not be required, All people would contribute moro or less to a land tax. The scheme of land nationalisation in China did not go far enough —its advantages were more than counterbalanced by disadvantages.