LAND TAX.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16061, 16 October 1912, Page 7

LAND TAX.

TO THE EDITOB. I gj r Mr P. Tisoh asks what would ' be "the amount or value of the com-munity-created valuo if our oversea or export market were destroyed." Idon t know; neither does Mr Tisch. But if your correspondent means to indicate -by tho above not very clearly worded question that the value of country lands depends solely upon tho existence of an oversea market, I may l>e able to throw soino light upon the subject- ',', . Suppose it were possible to remove all the people out of this dominion save onlv the farmers, what would bo the result? Simply this, that so long as they, the farmers, remained farmers, they would be unable, to export ono ounce of their produce. The result would bo that a large proportion of their number would change their occupations, some becoming slaughtermen, others, transport men, shippers, bankers, merchants, shopkeepers and so on. This would be necessary because the object of the faimier in raising produce is to exchange.it for boots, clothes and all their various requirements. In a word, tho present composition of society would be reproduced on a small scale," and large tracts of land which now have an unimproved value would go out of use and cease to have any value. Thus we see that a decline m population, despite the continued existence of our export market, would causo a deolino in land values. This does not mean that high prices do not increaso the valuo of land, but it does mean that tho existence, the needs and tho activities of a large population enables tho foreign market to be reached, to be reached with facility, and to bo reached at a minimum of cost. Mr Tisch should remember that all international trade is barter. „We cannot increase our exports without similarly increasing our imports. It is only the protectionist who prays, " Lcrd give us an enormous foreign trade to consist solely of exports!" But, fortunately, tho prayer is never answered. —T am, etc., October 15. C. H. NIGHTINGALE.