THE REVALUATION QUESTION .

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11528, 10 March 1903, Page 5

THE REVALUATION QUESTION .

A larg- cl--p:i! atioti of ladits and gen tie- ! mon was irtu dined by Mr W. W. Tan-in-r, M.H.K.. vedo said that the ik-puta-:::Ji ; r. ;;ie.-,:;,.'.ei revcral bodies in Chiist- > 1n.,-, ii <■:" a so- kid and }>oli:,ical charactertie' i':e ;re ■■; '■■-. c .■-•h-ennl Association, the Caot-oiar.- Women's Iris.it tlte, tbe Soekili-.t Pa:i . the S, via list Church, and the Ti-a.le- and Labia:' Council ; i:i fact it was a loJiibln-'.'-ion of progrctt-dve thought and •i.lie expre-s-rh-i of a progressive movement in Christ* hurcii. The members of the uipuiatir-n wished to sjv.ak with the Premier ve;y seriously and plainly with regard to tho disposal of the Crown land.-? of the colony, and cognate subjects. Itwas wr'thin the knowledge of the deputation that only ]>-t neck there was offered for sale for cash in the North Island a largeblock of Crown la-tid of 84.009 acre.-; in exit a;, at a price* which was something mote than ridiculous, and which was shu- ; ted in a, pot-itiori which must be bisected by a railway now in progress. It was a matter which called for s-.rious oonsi-dera-'tion and energetic action on behalf of all thos.* who were intr-rested in tire future welfare of the colony. The Crown lands of the colony were simply melting away out of the hands of the Government. Mr H. Atkinson said it seemed to him that it wan the gambling **pirit which was keeping alive ithe wish for the freehold in this country, and it was one of the profesaions of th. present Government that they v,;*ih_d to prevent gambling as far as they could. He tbou„ht, they should begin at home in that, matter, for it was or.a of the things which was allowinc people to gamble in land at the present time to the inunswe detriment to the future pe/xple of the country. He knew there wa*> the argument that people would not go on the land unless they could get the chance of the freehold. He believed that wag nibs-o-lutely false. Inducements should be _:ld out to the people to settle on the land, and premiums should be given for the first few years. Then the land could be. -adequately and thoroughly worked by the people and for the people. Mr W. Eftsu_. said that Ik*, represented the Progressive Liberal Association, and that body had made that matter a k-ading plank in their platform. They had felt that it was all important, for it was no far rvachinj; in jrs effects upon every i__i. j

vidual of the colony. The Association felti. was so very urgent that the lands of the colony should be kept for the people of the colony, and when they heard of t_ch can«es» a« the one cited by -Mr Tanner A made them feel depressed, and that, instead of going forward on the light track we were going back.

(Mr Seddon here remarked that the statement made by Mr Tanner ought, to be subject to the explanation that the 80.000 acres was liable lo the provisions of the Act, which laid down t_ree systems for the disposal of land. There was the cash purchase, th. occupation _cer__, and the irceiisjid. When that 80,000 acres case came to be investigated—he should have that cmr.e at once—rt would probably be found that not one-tenth of it was to be sold for cash.

Mr Tanner said that the answer to that was that the land was put before the people of Auckland in oiie block last Wednesday.

Mr En„i>m, continuing, said that bis Association objected to the 999 years' lease system, providing for no revaluation of the land from time to time. At Cheviot, for instance, the sett lens were holding their land at a very low rate, and the railway was being put through their property at the expense of the general taxpayer of the colony. Tl„ land was increasing in pi ice at a great rate, and the lease-holder;* wvre gaining an immense btiKiit- His Association contended that there should be a periodical rcvaluaii-U of all Crown land-?. Mi- E. Goh:i_, Prc.sitK-nt of th.- Trades

and Labour Council, t-uid ids Council trusted the Oovernmenit would endeavour to stop the salt of Crown land-, ar.d to have them revalued periodically, so that ail the ptopb inir_.ht rvup the bent fit. tie h.p.d thai, on tii... present occasion .the matter would h.ave more weight than it had iiad in ;': ' past. .Mi- \V. S. Smith said that the history oi the -_-,a.s;. ahowe-J that when the Scat, paced w::li L.i. iiuihold oi the soil there was alv. ays a t: r.dcticy for the ownership of the l.'iil to pa:is into a few hands. I: the pu-r-ti(. poor ■-.- oi" eW.- set; N.-m nt >:i Ci.o.eri land-, v. a--.T <,*;.... 11u. d r. .; oi;i'. !.-.i_-:,L »■..- a-p-M-t a lat.'i piodt.cf'v A* idem tilt- Ll.i. and an uit-.-e,--i:.- in ~,,iiva. mm tod. -. te-VeMt-os. oo Me d.i.-uld ;,! ~ (~ . .-.-..-,-ing tlie growth o: : ; s,' h ...i:h!.-. and .vi uiuus.;, oi our popula'.ioa. Mrs l'-ig- raid -that tlx Premier itiad stated recently that Cheviot, had been a splendid invc.—ineist, and was bringing in a large revt.nue. He had also proved, though he did not actually say it, that forty such Cheviot- would c-o av.-.iy witih all indirect taxation, and would leave us in the happy position of being a aval five trad? country. We should have, had a much better income from Cheviot if we had never sold it, and tlie same with. Highfield. Now we lrad to pay not only the value of these lands, but actually for the money we had expended in ma king these lands accessible. That seemed short-sighted policy. "Mr T* E. Taylor, M.H-R., said that iv Christchurch just now the political opinion was represented by himself, Mr Davey, nnd Mr Ell, as unbroken. It was unanimous in favour of a Radical land policy. Each of tlhem would vote on every occasion dead against the alienation of another acre of land. All experience had proved that it had been a vicious policy, and ho could conceive to-day of no reason for our seeking revenue by taking the cash values of land. He was quite sure that the opinion in Christoliurch was the opinion of the province, and, he believed, of the whole colony* In a recent speech the Premier had announced that the land revenue of the colony, the land tax, would tliis year probably show a deficit of £10,000. If that was possible, it was a public scandal. If, with the increase in land! values, the land tax had not shown a veay large increase, there was .something the people were being robbed by the land valuers. He said that the progressive land tax had never been pub upon such a basis as to serve its purpose. The aggregation of estates was going on in Canterbury. The deputation would be glad to know that the Government were going to see into the Peninsula question. When the present Act was passed the revaluation clause was omitted by the Miinisteir for Lands for reason tlTat if it were inserted' it would never pa-s the Upper House. That reason •no longer existed, and there was a growing desire that tine revaluation should take place. Mr H. G. Ell, M.H.R.. said it seemed to him that tlie time had aria v.*l when there should be an absolutely firm (stand made, and not another acre should be sold. He wanted to Tefer to the ruinous policy which he thought had been followed, particularly with regard to selling land in the immediate neighbourhood of our railway lines. In .even cases he had -picked out, in the neighbourhood of main lines, the increase was over £500,000 in ten years. Land was not* only being opened up on the optional system, but was also being- thrown on the market for cash only. Quite recently all tha remaining Govern-me-ft sections in the Ash barton district were put up by public auction, and he said that ivi* a distinct departure from the GoverraiKMit policy. The value of land between IE9I and 1901 had gone up by over nineteen millions. To .show the necessity for inx-reaiting the progressive land tax, the la.r.e estates of

£200,000 in value had increased from eleven to fourteen since 1891. -'ir Ell quoted figures to show that certUiin properties were grossly undervalued by the Valuation Department. Mr Seddon, in reply, said that the deputation had opened up a very large question, and had pointed out fully one side of the question. But there was another wide of the matter, nnl that was that the Government for the time being could only ;_n_i_ist.r the law as it stood. The law said .hat when land wast being thrown ope_ it must be thrown open under th*. optional system, and until* that law was altered the Government could not do n.her than it was doing .at the present tinte. Ho had mentioned the other day that there was a large fulling off in the 'territorial revenue, especially in respect of the sale of Crown lands, and .he said that he would have been delighted if there had been a -till further failing off. They must recollect that a number of thei*e sales* were to people who had taken land under the occupation license, with the right) of purchase, and who were exercising their option, and taking the freehold. That had been done before he came iu-to office, and it. had been done since. He thought Mr Tanner and the other members knew that there had not been a Horow yet that would do away with i.h. optional f-ysbsm. All the larg» centres did not agree' and in the city of Auckland .ve-ry number was for fierhold. If land contained minerals, it could be leased -wi ft font tho. option of purchase. ...ud Ire would never sell an inch of .tic'h land, but the Jaw would have to be altered before he could give effect to what had been brought under hi* notice. Mr Ell said that land had been sold without any option of leasing being given. Mr Seddon replied that a sale of that kind would a violation of the Act. It was at the. ojJtion of the person who applied for the land whether he took it for cash, or under occupation license, or lease, and the Government were powerless in the matter. He had gone through the districts and had met the Crown tenants, and the great majority of these people were crying for tbe freehold. His opinions had never changed upon the subject, and he beiieved himself in the leasehold, and leasehold on fair terms. At the same time, one could only go an far as public opinion and Parliament would allow. If they could only get the Bill through tbe House providing for periodical revaluation, there would not be much trouble with the Coun* oil. At the time he got the returns there was £10,000 lem than was expected from the land tax, but that might be reduced between then and the 3Lst of March. Tbe department had explained that there had been a falling off of £28,000 or £30,000 from the estate, which had been purchased by the.Crown ,nnd that being the case, tho matter did not look so bad as would appear on the first blush. When the Government tried to get the annual revaluation for land tax clause inserted, they found themselves in a minority, and he was very <_lad to get the biennial reValuation. A revaluation was now being proceeded with, and he expected to find a large increase in the land tax in consequence. At present the buying of estates on the one hand and the Belling «jf them

on the other was an anomaly, and the sooner it was removed the better he should like it. There was a big question of policy involved. Tlie deputation held their views, and there were many who held views different. When the time came aud Parliament met, the probability was that that* h*_ue would be tried.

Jn reply to Mr Taylor, the Premier said thai lie did not think the progressive land tax had brought about the closer •settlement of the land.

Mr Ell asked whether Mr Seddon was in favour of making the perpetuai leaaeholdere pay land tax, but the Premier replied that he" would rather not express an opinion upon the general subject of taxation. It was no use creating alarm. The deputation then withdrew.