CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 16 June 1913, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

LAND VALUES

To the Editor. Sir,—l have read with interest your correspondent's letter, signed "Leaseholder," in which he asksthe question, ?how much £1426 of improvements raised the unimproved value from £833 8s 4dto £4600 of 192^ acres of land during this last. 20 years-"' The exact amount is beyond me, because there are many other factors which have caused and helped that increase of £3766 lis Bxl, termed • unimproved value. If the land was virgin forest to-day it would show an increase. The self-denial of the pioneer lessee and family, invention of the refrigerator, Babcock tester (both given to the people by two men's brains for nothing) supervision and grading of produce, railways, cheap money called by name "Advances to Settlers," referred to by Hon. Messrs Massey, Allen, and Sir Walter Buchanan in the past as "pawn shop money," development of public works from surplus revenues of about ten million pounds sterling during the Liberal regime, advertising this country by statesmanlike strokes such as contingents to Africa and Dreadnought New Zealand, sinking ing fund for extinguishing the national debt,, brains of men like the late Mr Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward, etc., all these have helped that increase. Who gets the benefit? Why the landlord, who is the Maori I Is he entitled to all of it? Well, ask me something easy, for his white brother gets that increase too. Are they both entitled to it ? Is one entitled to more than the other ? Has any ,one else a claim in it? Can you tell me, Mr Leaseholder? D. J. H. Manaia, June 13, 1912.