TAXING THE LAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 5

TAXING THE LAND.

COMMONS CARRY DUTIES BY 210 VOTI VALUATION DIFFICULTY. UNIONIST AND FREE TRADE CRITIC: (at TKr.EuuArn—riecss association—coPTiunn London, May 13. Tho proposals of the Chancellor of tho Ev chequer in regard to duties on land va'ui woro carried in tho House oi Commons, tl voting being:— . For the land value duties ...... 330 Against'the land value duties .. 120 Majority for 210 Mr. Harold Cox, Liberal member for Pre ton, who was for stomo years secretary t . tho Cobden Club,, said there was no legit l mate difference between income derived fro; land ; and income from other sourees. Ii -asked why mortgages-on land should not 1: troated like land itself Was mortgagee land, enterprise, but owning freehold crimo? He derided the taxing of ungottc: minerals as being like the taxing of bachelor for the potential value'of their possible ofl spring. .... Mr. Alfred Lyttelton (formerly Colonia.' Secretary in the Balfour Administration' .showed that the cost of valuations'would be immense.' The money sweated off / owner; would not, he asserted, go to the nations' exchequer, but to lawyers and surveyors. ; Mr. Austen Chamberlain (formerly Union ist Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Mr. Balfour hotly.protested against, the haste .with : which the - Government was forcing it: ■financial proposals through the Commons. DEBATE ON "UNEARNED INCREMENT.' 1 On March 23, in the House of Commons, Mr. O'Grady, Labour member for East Leeds, proposed a motion expressing the opinion of the House that the effect of the reform in question would result in, the owners of land and minerals developing national resources more rapidly, thereby increasing the supply of land and raw material, and providing opportunities for. labour and the wealth-producing powers of tho country. "A paltry penny in the pound on land values," said Mr. O'Grady, "would bring in twenty-one millions. We suggest that the • money should be ear-marked to provide a fund for the purposes of social reform."/ '; Mr.. Scott, Liberal member for Ashton-undor-Lyno, seconded the motion., There: was 'not a London borough which, if it had acquired its land fifty years ago, would not be rate, free to-, day. "Fancy one of the. boroughs of' London being .rate free," he exclaimed with a gusto which set the House laughing merrily. Mr. Harold Cox, tho Independent'and Individualistic Liberal, moved an amendment that it was unjust to impose: new taxation upon property in land at a higher rate'than uponother forms of property. - Aro there not," lie asked, "many other forms of .unearned incroment as well-as in land? Have you n6ver heard of making a, successful speculation on the Stock Exchange?,. In any progressive community we all get. some unearniid increment."'' ' Both' motion and amendment were "talked out." .'■■■■■■. ■.■>:..■■■ A CANDID LIBERAL. . The cost'of valuing land as apart'from build-: ings, and improvements has "been /one of ,tho strongest points of British i opponents of larltl taxation; and. the Chancellor or the Exchequer had admitted that valuation is the crux of the question.' • Mr. Harold Cox, Liberal, freetrader, and antiSocialist,. is in a peculiar position in Relation to the Govcrntiient, being a champion of free- : trade, but an opponent of . any. freetrado finance that lends: towards/Socialist objectives. His position has been noted by the Opposition press, as .the following "Pall Mall" comments indicate:— • " ■ ■ Mr. ' Harold Cox is. bost known .as: a hardworking journalist, and the erstwhile secretary of'the Cobdon Club, in which capacity ho has had the, honour ;of crossing swords with Mr. Chamberlain and various,other eminent Tariff Reformors.'. Ho has_b'ceri'for a'good many years olio of. tlij) hand ,bf .clover nien who conduct the "Daily' Graphic," bht during his fiscal'controversy he blossomed ont in the "Westminster. 'Gazette", nnd divers other, organs of tho faithful. no has proved himself as valiant'with his tongue as with his pen, ;and' during 'his first' session in_ Parliament ho. courageously ; defended his individualist /opinions against /several Socialistic proposals of the' Government, following up'this record in successive. sessions by a froo lanco criticism of all bad finance and colleotivist futilities. Ho has had to keep tho Governmonnt in ordor from time to-time, a service for. which- Mr. 'Asquith oxpressed onone occasion a chastened degreo. of gratitude, Ho said, in speaking of Mr. Cox on June 16, 1903: _ - _ ■ ■' -// ■': , "It-is said that the constituency of .tho Uiiiyersßv °f . London was orcated in order to provide. Mr; Lowa with a seat. I trust my friend (Mr. Cox) mil long retain the confidence of the electors of Preston, but : if any of those mishaps which befall the best of us from time to time should befall him, I think that it would be almost a constitutional necessity to provide some means for his special, entrance. The member for Preston knows a great deal about manv things, but there is one subject Vith regard to which his knowledge is incomplote-that is the charaoter, disposition, habits, and motives of the average, British citizen." '