LAND SPECULATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17982, 26 December 1918, Page 3

LAND SPECULATION.

TO THE BIHTOR. Sir.—l was greatly interested to read the Rev J. J. North's comments on land .speculation and its effects on the housing problem, which appeared in a letter to your columns recently. Most people will agree with him m condemning the cornering of building lots in the cities by syndicates and speculators, for it is nothing short of an outrage that tho often poorly paid working man, hampered as he generally is by his full share of "encumbrances," should have to face the unfair competition of the land glutton and other speculators when ho wishes to acquire a modest building lot on which to make a home for himself and family. Your correspondent states that " this trouble could be ' alleviated ' by far-sighted civic action," but to mo it seems" that the trouble could be largely "cured" by the passing of a one-man-onc-holding law to bs> administered by popularly elected district land boards which would see that every section of land bought, whether urban, suburban or rural, was required for genuine "use," thus as completely as possible eliminating tho speculator. As showing the need for some such action being taken at once, it is rumoured that there is alreadr a hardening tendency in the price of town lets in anticipation of tho demand to be created by Government assistance to soldiers after tho war. • Many a working man must find the high price of building lots his. chief bar to having his own heme and mnnv another man is paying rent to his landlord on a. £2OO houso and a £4OO section instead of vice Tersa as it should be- Under present conditions our towns straggle out into the country, causing quite a considerable area of good farming laud, held by speculators in the form of building lots, to be thrown idle or only partly used, while nearer the city are plenty of pood sections unbuilt on for tho simple reason that they are owned by person': who ere waiting for a. further rise in values. Tho present system also leads to tho formation of "miles of streets, tramways, electric lighting, sewers, etc, through sparsely populated dH/riets, causing loss of public money and higher rates 'for less, efficient services than would otherwise be provided. In my younger days an ardrnfc leaseholder, experience and observation have now convinced me. that there is only one sati'-faetorv form of l>md ten we—the freehold—but unlike Mr Massey. who only arrears to be opposed to State landlordism, which is undoubtedly the least objectionable form of the evil— T am opposed to landlordism in any form whatever, State, municipal, or private, but especially private. At the same time. T recognise that a certain number of houses and lodgings Will always be required for tho very poor for temporary occupation. The late Mr Seddon's cure for Red Socialism was "a. quarter aero and a home,' and he held that the more people who were able to take this euro the better it would, be for the State _as well as the individual and to assist towards this end the Advances to Workers Act was placed on the Statute Book together with other legislation designed to enable the kinglv worker to become his own landlord. Mr Ma.ssey promised to brine down legislation during the session just closed for tho prevention of reasrgrcgntion but I for one never expected anything more than a political dodge and was therefore not disappointed' when his precious amendment to the Land Act appeared. As private member, as Lender of the Opposition and as Prime Minister, tho R;ght Honourable gentleman has always possessed one. outstanding characteristic He has always been consistent. He would never be progressive or be rolioon to fully keep n promise or make a wJiplly trustworthy and straightforward statement, so that in writing this I have no hope of anything being done until tho workers, hpvir.ee at the last elections, quite, enthusiastically put Massev in to suite Ward, decide, which J believe they will with even greater enthusiasm, to out both out to make room for someone with a better ""•asp of our country's needs. —I am, CtC '' RUSTICUS.