TAXATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16568, 4 June 1914, Page 8

TAXATION.

TO THJ EDITOR. Sir,—ln Ids speech at Amberley Mr Herdman referred to Sir Joseph Ward's declaration that taxation should, as far as possible, fall upon fomraunity-created values. It appeared to Mr Herdman that Sir Joseph "was advocating something fery revolutionary and undesirable," »hd.ho concluded his remarks on this subject by. advising his hearers "to keep their eyes fixed on Sir Joseph Ward and to watch him carefully, for he' might try to introduce revolutionary principles of taxation in New Zealand." Now, it is owing to the fact that those " revolutionary principles of taxation" have not been introduced that Mr Massey has failed to fulfil his promise to reduce the cost of living. His masters, the land monopolists, will not allow him to so change the incidence of taxation as to stop their game of what belongs to the nation as a whole—the community-creat-ed land values. This is why Mr Massey cannot give the people an economic »m\are deal, which we shall never got till we 'place in office men who will first and foremost introduce a just lystem of taxation. No honest man will seriously assert that the present system of taxation is in the interests of the great mass of the people. A radical change must therefore be made in the incidence of taxation. The landlords are pocketing the natural revenue of the country in the shape of community-created land values, while artificial means of raising revenue, such as Customs taxes, etc., have to be resorted to. Clearly, then, the landlords must bo made to disgorge, however " revolutionary and undesirable" this cpurse may be to them. It will ' then no longer be necessary to tax the;workers from head to foot in order to obtain fto requisite revenue. ■" If Sir Joseph Ward will unmistakably tlace his finger,on the spot that Mr [erdman is watching so carefully, Mr Herdman will most assuredly see Sir Joseph and his party, returned to office Junicf the" rejoicings of the" long-suffer-ng victims of robbery and oppression. •—I am, etc., RADICAL.