N.Z. LAND VALUES LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 151, 30 June 1925, Page 7

N.Z. LAND VALUES LEAGUE

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the New Zealand Land Values League was held in the Trades' Hall last evening, when Mr. P. J. O'Kegan, who. presided, reported that since the last meeting , there had, been important developments. First, he had been invited to address a public meeting at Mt. Albert, a suburban borough of Auckland, having an annual rate revenue ot £36,000, as a movement was on foot there to adopt rating on unimproved, values. The meeting was held on the 4th instant, and was a pronounced success, a large number of signatures to the demand to be presented to the Mayor being obtained then and there. The success 'of the poll.was practically a foregone conclusion, and ho would add that a poll in the-City of Auckland itself would result in the system being adopted by a large majority in 'spite of influential opposition. Steps were being taken to test the question, and a demand would be presented to-.the Mayor in duo course. Further, j a movement, was on foot to have a poll taken in the Butt County, and he was under, an engagement to'address several public meetings on the question, and-as a matter of fact ho had already distributed on behalf of the league a, number of forms for signature. Tho policy of tho league ,was not to take the initiative in .any district, but to co-operate cordially once the initiative was taken by the ratepayers themselves. The concentration of local taxation on the ununproved value was the line of least resistance for the league to tako under existing circumstances, and to place all the rates whero they onght to'be, would be sonic measure of permanent reparation for tho inexcusable outrage on the public interest which had been perpetuated by the politicians last year in tinkering with the national land tax. Mr. O'Regan next referred to thepositiony in Wellington, pointing 'out that when tha poll was taken in this city in November, 1901, the system was inapplicable to certain special rates—charitable aid rates, electric light rates, gas rates, arid sewerage rates.. Now, all these rates were levied in-.Wellington;-, and the resuit was ] that, although the city had an annual rate revenue of £346,----445, £160,652 was derived from special rates, all of; which- except the library rate, were struck on the annual value. The capital value of Wellington was £31,----980,059,.and the unimproved value £15 - 123,738, whence it would .be seen that if all the rates, were struck, on tlie.-unim-proved value, the special rates would be doubled. .As a matter-,'offact'the present rate revenue would require a rate-of s£d' in. the £l on 'the uniriiproved value, ■ while in. fact the present rate on the unimproved value-was 3d in the !£l, and the only addition thereto was the library rate. There were approximately. 17,000 ratepayers in the city, and as 15 per cent, of that "number woud have to sign the demand to the Mayor, it followed^that they would require to obtain 2550 signatures. Once ; the demand was' presented the Mayor had no: alternative but to take the poll, and he 'would venture .to predict that a large majority would declare in favour of placing all the rate's where they ought to be, because in fact .the' vast majority of tho ratepayers would save, money, while a few wealthy speculators would: find, themselves- obliged to make something like a proper return to the community for the benefits they received. , '-.' .. :■■-'.. .■■■.■■ ... '.;':-..;,

Finally,-the following resolutions were unanimously adopted :—That steps -be taken forthwith to obtain the necessary signatures to a demand with a view to having a rating poll in tlio city of ;Wellingtbn;: arid that the demand.forms be circulated immediately. That this : league views; with: 'satisfaction; tho steps being taken to adopt rating' on unimproved value in the Hufct County,' and 'pledges itself to give all the. assistance possible.- v: : „' . •.-; :"..-" :

Each memßer present took a number of demand forms, and undertook to have thenv -filled with -.signatures by the next meeting. A further payment of £10 w^s voted towards ..''The; Liberator,"- the official organ of the league. ' / ■■■-.■■