" USE OR ABANDON." AN ANGLO-INDIAN ON OUR LAND QUESTION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 44, 21 February 1908, Page 2

" USE OR ABANDON." AN ANGLO-INDIAN ON OUR LAND QUESTION.

A SUGGESTED REMEDY. Mr. C. A. Paterson, M.A., LL.B, a member of the Scottish Bar, who has just concluded a tour of the Dominion and leaves for Sydney to-day, is a keen observer, and some of his impressions of this country— notably Km the land question — arc distinctly interesting. One Objoct of his visit to New Zealand after spending 27 years in tho Work of education in India was to sco tho country with a view to fixing on a place where- he might settle and where his children might bo educated. THE LAND-SHARK SYNDICATE. "But every where throughout the Dominion" — said Mr. Paterson in conversation with a Post representative — "the land-shark and the land-sharking syndicate, an abomination to which there is nothing corresponding in the feudalism of the Old Country, are very much sn evidence, exploiting tho people by means of the 'unearned increment.' It strikes me that if the increment be unearned, the person who seeks to obtain it haa no right to it. It should go to those who create 'the fictitious valuo —the people in general — as represented by tho State, and should not go into the pocket of private individuals." A CURSE TO THE DOMINION. The cited three of a number of specific cases., that had come under his notice — one where a monietl landowner was sitting tight waiting for the rise in valuo that would come with increased population, and second where an absentee landlord had the samo object in viow, and a third where an exploiting syndicate was at work. It seemed to him that the owners of these three tracts of land were a curso to the Dominion. They blocked settlement of desirable settlers and they robbed the working man of his hard-earned wages. Very short shrift should be allowed to such persons. They should be called on to "use or abandon" the land.' No title to land, Mr. Paterson contended, should be recognised except that of actual industrial occupation, and mere- colourable pretence at industrial occupation should not be recognised. A SUGGESTED REMEDY. What was his suggested remedy for the evil? "I give the following suggestions for what they are worth,'' said Mr. Paterson. "I sun informed that nu income tax is levied on incomes from land, as there is a, land t-ax. It seoms to me that the land tax is equivalent to rent and that income tax should be levied on incomes from land as well as on income from professions, trades, etc. Differentiate between unearned and earned incomes, the former being permanent liko interest, pent, etc., and the latter being precarious and temporary, depending on personal health and strength. Tho tax on unearned incomes should be double that on earned incomes. Make the limit oi exemption from income tax proportionate to the number of persons to be supported with the income. Require all owners and occupiers of land to make an annual return showing separately tho unearned income and the earned income which they make as such owners or occupiers. No land should bo exempt from the tax, because it is not used by the owner or not tonanted if he seeks to let it, as the policy of the State, 'use or abandon," should be that all land not in the hands of the State must bo j industrially occupied or else abandoned, so that the State may givo it to others willing to occupy it industrially. The State should at any time have the right to take over the piece of land at a, price not exceeding the sum which, if invested in Government debentures, would bring to the owner of tho land the same income which he had represented as the unearned incomo of the ! land for income tax purposes — that is, 25 to 30 years' purchase of the income. If the owner represented that the land was worth more tlis answer would be. that he had been cheating tho people by paying to tho State too little income tax, unless he could show that he had recently improved the land, and that his improvements had not begun to bring in any income. In this way the land-sharks would be put in a dilemma. If they declared the income from their land to be merely nominal, the Sta>3 might take over the land at 25 years' purchase of that nominal income when the pressure of population would be creating' a demand for that land for building purposes, and the State- would then get the increment — no longer unoarned, because it would have been created by tho people themselves — that is, the State. On the other hand, it the owners had been declaring the income to be very larg-e, so that they might claim a big price if the State sought to take over the land, the Statemight leave them severely alone, allowing them to continue to pay tax on that large income as long as they chose to do so, and the State might provide other land in the neighbourhood for the use of persons who desired land for their own bona fide occupation, so as to save them from the machinations of tho land sharks. . Further, any person who desired a piece of land for his own occupation (for example, a working man desiring a quarter acre section in which to build a house for himaelf near his work) should be entitled to ask for the assistance of the- State, and th<> State should exercise 'ts powers and secure the desired land, and transfer U to him at such a price as the Siate might deem reasonable. If the persou failed within a reasonable time to fulfil the purpose for which he said ha desired the land, the penalty should be confiscation of the land without any compensation." THE ANGLO-INDIAN. The suitability of New Zealand ts a place for Anglo-Indians to settle :n: n on retiring was touched upon by Mr. Paterson. He considered *that tho southern half of the North Island and the northern parts of the South Island surpass all other countiieS he- had soaa as regards suitability of the climate for persons who had spent many years in tho tropics. Some Anglo-Indians — those who could afford to ongage help — would find New Zealand intolerable-, because of the difficulty in obtaining domestic assistance. Others, however, would not be affected by that consideration. ■ But the Anglo-Indian would require I some little land about his house, .mil such a place would cost him much more than it would in tho Old Country. li would, therefore, be for the Anglo-In-dian to weigh the magnificent climate of New Zealand against that etxra cost when considering whether he would go to the Old or the New land.

Harry M'lntosh, artist, sued the New Zealand Times Co., ot lh& Magistrate's Court yesterday, for £3 ss, balance of commission alleged to be due. A counter claim for £10 17s was entered. Dr. M'Ai'thiu 1 , S M., gave judgment for defendants on the claim and counter claim. Xo costs weie allowed. Mr. Stout ap- ? eared for defendant and ill*. Kirkcaldie or plaintiff.