LAND VALUES LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 27 May 1925, Page 3

LAND VALUES LEAGUE

'ANNUAL MEETING, The annual meeting of the New Zea. :t ttd m Land'Valvieß League was held in the Trades Hall on Morday evening, Mr. P. J. CBegan presiding. There was.a good attendance. The report and balance-sheet for the year were read, the latter disclosing a satisfactory financial position, in that alter discharging the expenses of. and incidental to incorporation, a substantial balance was shown, and it was unanimously decided to donate the sum of £10 towards the publication of "The LiberatV t^ie officia' organ of the league. The annual report referred to "fcho sustained and insidious offensive" conducted for. the past two years against the land-tax, but pointed out that, notwithstanding the well-known wishes of the Government, they had not dared directly to repeal the tax, as their predecessors did in 1879. Instead of doing so, however, they had, in. effect, repealed the tax in part by ajlowim; the deduction of mortgages up to £10,000, and m certain cases to £15,000. Hence landholders could automatically evade the °n]y really just and equitable tax we had by the simple device of mortgaging their lands. Then, pastoral runs many of which were the most valuable monopoly, were entirely exempted. The real effect of these devices could not be known until the next revenue returns came in, but it was a foregone conclusion that the land-tax revenue would show a falling-off; in other words, that about 7000 of the richest men in New Zealand had been granted a remission of taxation at the expense of the masses, on whom the burden of Customs taxaltion had first been increased iti order to make such remission possible. The report further criticised the work of the Royal Commission on taxation, and regretted that the Supreme Court Bench should even indirectly have been identified with "a sordid conspiracy against the public interests." It was recommended, that a succinct exposure o£ the land and taxation policy pursued since 1914 should be prepared and sent to every candidate for Parliamentary honours 'at the general election. Dealing with local taxation, satisfaction was expressed at the steady progress of. rating on unimproved values, particularly at the late victory in Wansi)nui, and the view. was. expressed th»t before long the system would have become general. After some discussion the report was adopted, and ordered to be printed, after ■which the following resolutions wera carried :— . _ "(1) That a leaflet be prepared [or puhlication before the elections exposing tho land and taxation policies of the late Government, showing how the interests of the mass of the people have been subordinated to those of the wealthiest landholders. "(2) That steps be taken forthwith to initiate a rating poll in the City of Wellington, in order to place nil specinl rates as well as the general Tate on the unimproved value."