MUNICIPAL TAXATION. FORMATION OF A RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 84, 10 April 1894, Page 4

MUNICIPAL TAXATION. FORMATION OF A RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION.

X publio mooting was held in Thomas' ftall last evening for the purpose of discuf.sog tho question of nmnicipal taxation. T-horo was not a large attendance. Mr. JameH ODea was voted to the ohoir, and expressed himsolf in favour of a frontft o 'e rate. Mr. Edward Withy, of Auoklnnd, a-1-tfnaxerf tdo meeting' at some length. lie n:vd that he was a Singlo Taxor, and at the lut general election ho stood as a Singlo Tiixer. Ho was urged by somo of his friends mt to pose as a chatnp:on of the system, but Jin declined to stand excopt as a Single Taier. All thoso who believed in the betterment principle, and tho principle of exempting improvomonts from frontage, woro roally Single Taxors, although they might not be awaro of the fact. Ho trusted that in any effort which tho moeting might make to got the frontage rate adopted, it would strive to havo the principle gennrallv adopted. It was a fair thing between all people. The Single Tax waa simplicity itself. Ground rent was not a tax upon anyone. A man waa willing to ray ton times as much rent for a pioco of land on Lambton-quay aH for a section in To Aro, for tho simple reauon that he was ablo to carry on a bettor businoss on tho former than on the latter. A tax upon tho ground rental principle was really no tax in tho general fconno. Wo wanted people to put up buildings, but we should not diacourago an owner from improving his lub land. As soon, howevor, as a man oreoted buildings lie wob taxed for his enterprise. For that reason a man frequently hesitated to build, and the consequonco waa that tho wage-earning closbos suffered, as they lost employment. It was highly dosirablo that capital should not bo locked up in that way. If tho various classes would not row in the same boat, the groat reform which ho was advocating 'would not be brought ibout. Industries. should not be hampered, «ud tho ground ront fund should not be affowdd to fall into the hands of a few, One of the great benefits of taxing land value was that a man could not hido his land, although he might refuse to let his income fto known. Mr. James Grove moved a voto of thanks to Mr. Withy for his addross. The motion was se'condod by Mr. R. P. Johnson, who eaid bo thought it was docidodly unfair that Mr. Jarnon Smith, of To Aro House, should havo to pay 500 times as muoh as the owner of the section on the opposite side of the street, which was quite ita equal in value. The motion was carried by acclamation. On the motion of Mr. Grovo, it was decidod that a petition in favour of tho adoption of frontage rating should bo printed and ciroulntod for signature Mr. Leslio askod whether tho ratos under tho frontago system would bo higher or less than at present. Mr. Withy said that if tho Singlo Tax systom woro adopted tho oxponßOS to tho Govornmont would bo imich docreasod. Undor tho frontago syHtoraa man with a vacant soctiou would find it necessary to build. By bnilding ho would got an advantage Mr. T. Orr oxprossod v foar that sorioua conaequonooa would follow tho adoption of the aystem advocated by tho provious spoakors.Mr. Withy naid Mr. Orr was in favour of paying ratos ont of one's industry. Under his (Mr. Withy's) system the man would pay ground rent only— not ground rent pluß ratos, as at present. Mr. James Paul! moved that a Ratepayers' Association should be formed. The motion was soconded by Mr. A. M'Donald. Mr. T. K. Maodonald said the fact should not bo forgotton that, under onr present systom tho man who bad tho enterprise to erect buildings on liib land was heavily taxed. It was not right that a section at Newtown shonld bo rated at only £20 or £30 a year, whilo an adjoining section with a coUage upon it waa rated at £100 or £120. A reform in the system of municipal rating was sadly required, and ho was glad to find that an effort was boing made to form a Ratepayers' Association. 'J ho motion was agreed to. This was all the business. The following is the text of the potition which it was decided to oirculato :—: — To tho Hon. tho Speaker and mombors of the House of Representatives of tho Colony of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled. — The bonourablo potition of tho undersigned citizens of Wellington showeth— That your petitioners fool keenly that great injustice is inflicted on the people in the manner in which the rates and taxes are assessed on buildings and othor improvements, as well as on tho hind. That tho taxation of improvements is a penalty for improven onts, and also holds out a premium to ownors of land to hold itidlo That a frontago rate or a land value rate exempting all buildings and improvements would give a vast impetus to the erection of buildings and the making of improvements generally, as under a system of local rating which exempted improvements, no matter how much a man spent on his holding, his taxes would not be inoreasod. That a frontage rate 00 the value of the land alone and spent over all the hind would force land into occupation, as under it it would be found unprofitable tc hold land idle. Yonr petitioners therefore pray that such amendments may bo made ii the law as will give effect to the reform thej seek."