RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALDES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12534, 22 June 1901, Page 4

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALDES.

TO THE EOITOR. Sir, —There dan be no doubt that your •widely circulated journal is a potent factor in foaming public opinion bn local and colonial politics, and many of the progressive measures now on the Statute Book are the result, in no sniall degree, to your advocacy. I could avlsh,..with ■the > force at your command, that you were infallible, but such, cannot be, and I think rye have a proof of this ill the way in which, an skid Out of season, you advocate compulsory rating on Unimproved values for to'oal purposes. Why should the adoption of this basis be compulsory, seeing that the Act can bb adopted by a majority of the votes recorded in its favour? If the ratepayers, or a majority in a district, are opposed to this basis of rating, why do you, as a Liberal, wish to force it on them nolens volens? .

There is no doubt this system of r&tihg would suit a few in certain localities* but I question if it would ever be adopted through tie votes of a farming Community. In my opinion, this system of raising local revenue would be on par With i land tax Without. the income tar, as it" would allow a considerable number who make large use of out public roads to escape /With a very small contribution in the way of local taxation. It is not the exigencies of local finance that, this system is to assist, as no more money could be raised than such rate on Unimproved values as would produce the 6uHi of the maximum rate on capital values, You surfely wOUld nut advocate the compulsory improvement of all lands in the same proportion to .its unimproved value. Such a thing is impracticable and undesirable. Yet the raising of local taxation on unimproved land values would penalise the man in tt small -raj' of business, and the cottager with his kitchen and flower garden, by compelling them to pay more in proportion to the value of their properties for local taxation than, the merchant with his three or four storied, warehouse, or the palatial dwelling of the capitalist. Bating bn unimproved values is inequitable in respect to agricultural and pastoral properties. We nhist>remember the same amount of money has tb.be raised by rating on unimproved values as on capital or gross value of property, and the exempting of land 1 ’ improvements from Ideal taxation must increase ilie irate, in the £ bn Unimproved land values, ‘ Now, We have in Canterbury, land that can carry improvements up to half its capital value, with profit id the fortunate owner. Bating bn unimproved values would reduce the taxation on such a properly, blit what ■Wdilld be the effect'bn the holders of the large areas of second arid third-claSs land, like our storiy plains or, tough uriploughable country i 1 The most profitable improvement tb these lands its a standard and wire fbnCe, arid a little surface sowing of Strong .grass. Baiting oh Unimproved values for local taxation Would increase the fates considerably oft these properties, to mike up for the exemption of improvements on.the rich farm land. This* to my way of thinking, is a new ’phase of Liberalism.—l ant, etc.; W.S.M.