MR. TE KUITI AND THE LAND QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 13

MR. TE KUITI AND THE LAND QUESTION.

Sir,-—I Ikhc rtfad Mr. Te Kniti's extraordin*rv,,yio\vs on- tho and his quoL ntl ' in : f r°VVfy^^ch,;deHV<3recl/.bj Mr.\ T.vE. Taylor,, ;h6wflvtr, .docs riot;app&or' on, , PA g<> /13 7 •« P f:; ■ H n J1 sa r d / a s J st a te d by .your 'oor\ ..Tcapondent;' Mr^ laylor's contention that "the v .:: ; ,of-Now : Z f a!ahdv 'the land,, and, as . r?*?* should 'bo in connection tho land policy of ■; ?°Ao' l.r /■ true. ' In tho ; .thcrirj. of ir v the 'land is rested" in ; the /.Crou ir -for the .iwholq/peoplc:- '..••••Mr;;- Te KuiM r- ®?ks : : VS ht> nr<>;;tho_-people it - is proposed. to consult?- i .inn-stnpidly. iuirtiTinos thnt only tho kin -holders should .1,0 con.Miltid, as ;if tho . great .majority. of ■ ii'thc....working, nation;''are' ?oing to' allow tJieni- • all . their lives tn .: 'grind nu v, u'caUh fnr 'lnnd .monopolists,'' and ijjto .■hnve>no, : :V9 , .PS;, itinttcr . of: the dis- ;^; :jw^iUon, of their. nhoritAnoe.' ' Your correspon- / <iSHI luVi rot:to.learn'tlint'tho earth belongs •; r to tlio whole of mankind, and not toprivikwl . . iihind6TOrs::; r .tnhd;■like -air, is' one of tho first :o. i^oiihals'-fo c lifo^; v It-i isAilio .sotirco . t>f all ;we!ill:h?,:'.at; ; \rnsrtgirtrtito.tJS:;ft9/the means uf oljtaininsr - our subsistence;. and when. 1 , it is . monopolised, • as '/now,': • what.' happens? . Tho .cohdi tion. .of., slavory, :;\;;4hoy;i;rtT6.;,rqbMdioo^ ; :fhDir earnings,- '.and-vof v-tliiir.' freedom -and - independence, They: havo im'ural righti to the u=o of land-nshts which * -ri: : 'W'i.existpl.i^o}'']oh(f Ijoforo i -governments ..V'' : w! ; q'i;knoW7:'wn'?thcy-Sintoh'l' l ':'''to-\ ; ~. I .bUmo tho . slaves,,fori allqvr-

:idgi themselves... to ;bo robbed, Vi.But.: tlterc is • a May :<if:rcbkdiiing coniingr'aiid may • it, bo. soon; ■.:VJ^t'-jh«',joint..-out; , :t6; ; Mfi.-TeVKmti.'tlißt'.'.th%: people.as:a,whole -oreate:tho: valud.'of Jand : by :their.-presence and are, '.there-' . fore, very, Vmndhv interested initho: land ,ques-. tipn,. so mubh'. 1 so 'that, it is dawning upon' tuera that;, they/rhaveV.even/duringthe, last-./decade, been robbed;of many 'millions, sterling, in the 'shape of -economio rent,, which has' gone into tho ■ pockets .of the -landlords, instead of into the.' publioytreas.ur'yV' to beUised;'in relief :■ of. Customs:, taxation, i. -The : Government.-'.'■' havo borrowed money ,to 'carry out ,'publio improvements' and promote-oloser settlement,'thus'increasing the value of land,, and thus presenting to the /landlords' of atljaoent land ii nuye gift, for.which the, State have received nothing in return. Instead of: borrowing, the Government should hoavily tax land values,,. which .would,provide, all: : the'money ther-require, to rapidly open' up this country.:; But as long as the Government permits the legalised robbery, of. the community-created value of land; so long will New • Zealand,, remain. in a state of deplorable stagnation, with ,a miserably small .'population, few industries (which have .to, be liolsteied.i.up, by", proteotivo :tariffs), and a:restricted and hampered commerce. AVhy, even the .older countries—England and Germany, to ,wit—are.morb ndvnnced in land reform than we are',here, !for they have adopted tho sound and.. logical ■ Georgian ' principle of, land-valuo. taxation.'When: aro wo-going to,wake up and "do'likewise?—l: am;-otc. : '"•" ': r'.: : -v ::■:: :W. ORTON. SYKES. ',