THE LABOR PARTY AND LAND VALUES.

Evening Star, Issue 18254, 19 April 1923, Page 2

THE LABOR PARTY AND LAND VALUES.

TO THU EDITOR. Sir, —It appears to mo that tho Labor Party is entitled to the support of the general public in the approaching municipal elections for the very good reason that it proposes to pay the whole cost of local government out of a rate on land values. These values are made hy the public, and therefore belong to the public. As population increases these land values increase, and the expenditure of public money on street, road, and other town improvements adds to the value of land. Therefore the proposal of the Land Values League to make rating on the unimproved value of land mandatory throughout the dominion, is a very reasonable and just proposal. Mr Sod'don’s Government intended to give legislative effect to this aiosrd, and there can be no doubt that Mr Scddon lived another year or two this important reform would have been carried. The Labor Party also stands for all community-created values being appropriated for tho benefit of tho whole community. Every economist and every statesman knows quite well that this great and revolutionary reform would bo of enormous benefit to tho country, and that itis practicable without doing the smallest injustice to any man. Our present fiscal and economic systems aro in violent conflict with the morality of tho Christian religion, and should therefore bo vigorously opposed by all professedly Christian Churches. The Churches aro held in contempt by many thousands of working people in this country and in every oilier country because, they do not wage war on laws and systems which arc in violent conflict with the religion they profess. This is tho reason why the Churches throughout Christendom make no progress. Professed Christians who support iniquity aro more likely to bo damned than saved; and this is exactly what a laroo number of professed Christians arc doing in Now Zealand. —I am, etc., April 18. Ei>. T. Evans.