RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12573, 7 August 1901, Page 4

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

The Party in Auckland lias allowed its zeal to outrun its discretion. It ought to have taken .more time to educate public opinion on the principle of gating on unimproved values _ before sub* mittiiig the question to the ballot. The electors of the northern city are not yet sufficiently well informed to, understand it in ill its, bearings. They have, doubtless, been alarmed by the '“Single Tax” bogey* 1 which was raised ih the House of Representatives last evening by the opponents, of Mr Seddoris compulsory measure. If. the reformers had waited for. a few months they would probably have got an equitable system of rating without going to the poll at all,and in any case would have had time to explain the extent and, effect of : their proposal. As it is they have not only lost their right to appeal to the electors for" a considerable time, ’ but have also' imperilled the Bill introduced by the Premier. The .opponents . ,qf .that measure will naturally contend that, the expression ,of opinion ■, in, Auckland is a reflection of the opinion in the colony. They will make little of the fact tha£ ; nearly every other poll taken under the lAcfc of 1896 has resulted,ill favour of the reform, and much of the fact tha t the one in Auckland, Has rejected It by an over-whelming majority. We hope, however, that Mr Seddon will persist with his proposal. There is no sound reason why the principle" that has been adopted in colonial taxation' should not be applied to local rating. ,; The system of taxing the owner who improves his property for the benefit of the owner who is waiting to reap the fruit of bis neighbour’s enterprise is vicious in the extreme. The few examples quoted in the House, of, Representatives ,the other evening in opposition to Mr Seddoris Bill might have been employed with just as much force against Mr Ballance’s changes in the incidence of taxation, and yet .no one now-' a-days talks of abolishing the Land and Income Tax and reverting to the Property Tax. The adverse vote in Auckland ought not to disturb the' settled policy of the Ministry.