CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 808, 9 June 1903, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES'.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — 1 perceive by your issue of the 4th Instant that the Hawera Borough solicitor again confirms what I stated in my last letter — that three years must elapse before another poll can be had. Of course, it goes without saying that Mr Barton is perfectly correct in stating that the poll eftnnot 'be invalidated merely because or the publication of an improper advertisement in the Gazette. But there is another point to which I would direct attention. In the event of a return being ordered by Parliament — and several such returns have been ordered and published— showing the number and result of pol/s under (he Rating on Unimproved Values Act, the information will necessarily ba compiled from the Gazette notices, and hence the return would be misleading, since it would show that in Hawera the poll had failed. Under these circumstances, I must respectfully submit that the proper course to adopt is to publish a correct noiice in the Gazette. — I am, elc ,

P. J. O'REGAN,

Wellington, June 6th. P.S.— Permit mo to add that I have read Mr Astbury's letter with much pleasure. There nre two very prevalent but etronpous notions in this country — th;it ihe taxation of laud values would be j a class tax on fanners, and that under an alleged land for settlement, policy we have broken down \he curse of land rnoDopoly. The prevalence of these ideas chows how easy it is to humbug the people, at any rate whon ihey are willing to delegate their rght to s*udy and think for themselves to m'-n who totally misapprehend the situation. The real facts are : (1) If the land tax wero doubled or trebled, even without exceptions, customs tuxts being reduced, 80 per cent of the landowners would pny less than they pay now ; (2) tr^re are more 1 large estates in New Zealm d to-day than there were ten years ogo. I have ampl9 1 data to prove these facts now ; but during the coming session a return will be laid before Parliament which will put the position so clear thut •' hs who runs may read." I advise Mr Astbury to watch that return, with a view to g.ving your readers tho benofit of tho iniormation it will contain.

P.J.O'R.