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Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9492, 14 August 1891, Page 4

The amendment moved by Mr Shera in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, and supported by Sir George Grey, found the Government and the Liberal Party in a curious position. It found Ministers and their followers forced to oppose a proposal which nearly all of them are known to be heartily anxious, to see made the law of the land. Mr Shera moved to exempt all improvements from taxation. This, of course, would leave the Land tax a graduated tax on land values only. It is well known that men like Messrs Ballance, W. P. Reeves, Sadden and M £ Kenzie are all pledged to such a tax as this.; so ars their supporters. But what neither the Government nor their Radical supporters are pledged to is to attempt to do the work of years in six months. We venture to predict that should the Liberal Party remain in power, a very few years will see the of all improvements; but it iki&Mair to ask Mr Ballance as Treasurerit&imperil his finance and lose the confidence of the country by rushing into so radical and revolutionary a change in his first session; nor wpvfidithb,, House of Representatives ha3iro ; -isup% ported a proposal to impose a ptire Land tax. Had Mr Ballance proposed it in his Financial Statement it is quite certain that such a tax would have been rejected by a distinct majority. The Opposition would have voted against Mr Ballance as one man on such a question, and several of his followers would have done the same. In order to get the revenue by a pure Land tax Mr Ballance would have to do one of two things: bo would either have to increase the graduated tax to such an extent as to terrify the country, or he would have to greatly increase the tax on the small landholders in town and country. In fact, he might have had to do both, for the loss of revenue, by the exemption " of. all improvements, would have been enormous, tinder Mr Ballancse’ present scheme, the small landowners, both in town and country, will escape taxation almost altogether, and the recognition of this explains the general acceptance of Mr Balance's policy. If he were to attempt to change front and place taxation on small land values, his action would be bitterly resented and his policy most certainly defeated. We hope to see all improvements eventually exempted, but this great task requires the most careful financial arrangements; and it would be unfair to expect the Government to underbake and carry it to completion within six months of taking office. The Liberal Party knows that. As regards a large majority of the land-owners of the country, Mr Ballance’s tax is a Land tax pure and simple. It does not ■‘touch the im-

Eements of a large majority o£ -owners either in town or country. With that stride onward the Liberal Party must-at present be content.