SINGLE TAX MISREPRESENTATIONS. S

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11059, 10 May 1899, Page 7

SINGLE TAX MISREPRESENTATIONS. S

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l eliallenged itr. Fowlds' statement " that all land values were given by the coin munily," and asked him foi proof. As I expected, lie shuffles (as single-taxers usually do) oil to atiotliei point instead of attempting to prove his assertion. If Ml. Fowlds | had any practical knowledge of the value of farm lands, ho would know that the building of a bridge over the Manukau does not save the Mangere farmers a great deal in freight, and does not make the land produce one bushel moro wheat, or increase the produce of the Mangero farms in any way. As a matter of fact, farm land %vas dearer, and the letting value was higher than it is now. years before the bridge ivaa built. It does not follow because people holding small frontage lots nea. the bridge ask bigger prices, oi sonic wealthy racing man comes along once in a lifetime, and gives a fancy price (a price no farmer would over dream of giving), that my farm or any other farm " has been increased in value three or four fold." We know that it lias not, and that Mr. Fowlds statement is contrary to fact. We know what Mi. Fowlds does not know, that the Mangere farmers have to work early and late, harder, much harder, to mako a living than they had to do 25 or 30 years ago, before the bridge was built, and why? Because tho large increase of population in Auckland during that period has not increased the value of what, wo farmers produce, but lias been accompanied by a fall in prices. I may be pardoned for asking, Are the Mnngere farmers the only people who use this bridge? Does tho fact that some public money lias been spent on Mangere Bridge give the community the right tc confiscate the Mangere farms? If so, the farmers would have been very much betlei without it. Many farmers are of opinion even now that in view ot the heav> cost of maintenance we should be better without it. Manger" and Onrlutiiga ratepayers conjointly spent over £1000 on that bridge last year, which expenditure was not for the benefit of themselves alone, but also for lilt general public. The Mangere people are already paying a nig rental, in the shape of taxation, on all the improvements that have boon effected by the community for the benefit of the district. Mr. Editor, ) am naturally dense and easily misled, therefore I ask you how much better otf shall I bo for the enhanced values Mr. ]' owlds talks so muell about, when the single-taxers have got possession both of mv farm (with the enhanced values) and the bridge loo? I am also still awaiting those proofs, showing how " all land values iro given by tho community," and no fairy tales this time, please. Mr. Fowlds.—l am, etc., Matthew M. Kirkbiiide, A Mangere Farmer. Mangere, May 8, 1899. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Singlo-taxers do not take into account that New Zealand is but an allotment in the British Empire in then contention that all the revenues of a State should be raised by taxing land; so their proposal to apply this mode of taxation in and for this colony solely jis an abandonment of their principles. If, as they allege, the increment in Now Zealand belongs to the Slate, then some of it could I on their ground be claimed to balance the decrement to the farming lands ill Britain, caused in part by the produce we send there. Single-taxers assure the small freeholders I that they will find the single tax a betterment j to them, and remind them that the great I taxable bulk is held by great companies, i whom they stigmatiso, keeping from view tne estates held for municipal, educational, and I charitable purposes, which is misleading on I their part. It seems t( me that the probable outcome of imposing the single tax, at the Fame time abolishing Customs duties, would be followed by the extinguishing of many local industries, killed by the free importation of foreign manufactures, and our workers would havo to seek a living elsewhere. What then would be the condition of small farmers, who depend mainly on the local consumers? The local manufacturers are said to be between the devil and the deep sea, i.e., the importer and the workman, if single-lasers had their way, the manufacturer would no longer be between, but he would be eitlioi foundered in tho sea or worse. I 1 am, etc., Edwin Garb.