TAXING SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 127, 24 February 1944, Page 6

TAXING SYSTEM

Unimproved Value Of Land “One of the greatest evils of. our time is the false conception of the social function of property, ’ said the president of the New Zealand League for the Taxation of Land Values, Mr. R. O’Regau, addressing the annual meeting of the league on Tuesday night. Property was g.ven to man to use for the satisfaction of his physical needs, aud not to be used as an instrument whereby one man compelled another to work for him, said Mr. O’Regan. The private appropriation of laud valued which in justice belonged to society at large, was the fruitful parent of social evils and to the prevention and abatement of this evil their society was dedicated. The method they advocated was that the unimproved value of land, which was a community created value, should be collected for the community through the legitimate use of the taxing power. They were not socialists except in so far as thqy worked for the socialization ot the unimproved value of land and at the same time striking the fetters of taxation frorp labour and industry. This euj could be achieved in a small way by working for rating on the unimproved value in every county aud borough where any local demand arose. At the forthcoming local body elections it was hoped to see polls taken on this question in Makara and Hutt County. Rating ou the unimproved value had proved itself and had spread widely on its own merits. There were 127 boroughs in New Zealand and 81 levied rates on the unimproved value. Out of 129 codntics, 58, rated on the unimproved value. These figures would continue to grow. If the time had come for a uniform rating system to be adopted throughout the country, the proper method of achieving this was to make rating on the unimproved value mandatory. Yet, a remit was going to be discussed at the municipal conference urging that rating on the annual value be made mandatory throughout the country. This clumsy system which penalized every improver and home-maker and favoured every speculator and land blockader, was in force in 19 boroughs in the South Island and seven boroughs in the North Island, in not a single county in either island. Together with capital value rating it made no small contribution to the waning prosperity of the South Island. The following resolution was adopted unanimously:—“That a letter be sent to the mayor of Wellington, pointing out that on everv occasion when the ratepayers of Wellington have had the opportiuiiit' of voting on the question of rating, they had emphatically supported rating on the unimproved value. Accordingly, the delegates from the Wellington City Council to the Municipal Conference should be instructed to oppose the remit: favouring the universal application of rating on the annual value.” The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr. Rolland O’Regan; vice-president. Mr G. K. Lankshear: secretary-treasurer, Mr. iv G. Varlow; assistant, Mr. R. A. Gossq,; committee, Messrs. A. Parlane, H. L. Greig, T. G. Fouhy, R. D. Smith, and J. Bruton.