VICTORIAN LAND TAXATION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13131, 2 June 1908, Page 7

VICTORIAN LAND TAXATION.

POLICY SPEECH BY MR BENT. United Press Association—By Electrio T.i -graph—C'cpy. i__i t, MELBOURNE, June 1. Mr Bent, the Premier, in his policy speech, said that the time had arrived for th© imposition of taxation to coinpei landowners to put their land to proper use. He intended to submit a Laud Valuation Bill to provide a graduated land tax against the aggregation of large estates. Ho foresuadowed railway extension to open up tho country, whilst water conservation schemes now in hand would provide for an addition.-! population of at least 400,000.

In a recent memorandum Mr Swinburne, the Minister for Lands, referred to a compulsory selling scaeme, which, says tho '"Argus," may bo-epitomised as involving the replacement of a system under which tho State buys land, and arranges for its settlement at an expense that involves it in heavy loan liability, by a scheme under which an owner would arrange for tho sub-divi-sion of his estate and its settlement by men who would pay tho owner, and whose bonds would bo backed by the Government. Mr Swinburne suggests that much of tho machinery in the present Closer Settlement Act should be retained, and that the Closer Settlement Board should supervise tho work of settlement. It should havo tho power to negotiate in respect to estates within 20 miles of a railway or irrigation centre, and to deal with smaller estates and blocks /than is tho case at present. The Board will select the estates* a price will bo fixed; the Board will pick tho new settlers; and the owners will arrange for their settlement. In dealing with the terms, Mr Swinburne suggests that bonds of varying currency should be issued, and that the settlers should be given 20 instead of 31 years in which to complete their instalment payments. The Stat© could issue the bonds, with a coupon attached guaranteeing the owners against default in connection with the instaliienta. There are under consideration, or in progress, says the '-Argus," propositions for water supply -works that, if carried into effect, will, by an expenditure of a sum of over £5,000,000, give -water for effectively irrigating 850,000 acres of land, provide stock and domestic supply to a much larger area, and will make it possible to settle on this land half a million more people than now occupy it. Mr Swinburne is satisfied that it is feasible to do this amount of workwell within th© next 10 years. There is no legitimate reason, he holds, why in 20 years the whole enormous development foreshadowed in the figures may not be an accomplisned fact. That means, m other words, that by a progressive policy of water conservation., accompanied by th© subdivision of largo ©states, the rural population of th© Stat© may be -drnost doubled m 20 years.