LAND TENURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12550, 18 April 1904, Page 6

LAND TENURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I think Mr. King in his argument on the increase of land value in proportion to population takes too short a period. In a question so great as that 20 years is neither here nor there, the ordinary fluctuations of value extend over a period as long as that or longer. Ho should take longer periods. Gibbon, in the opening sentences of his history, describes the wollbeing of the Romas world, its happiness, peace, and security. I is certain that the value of land in Italy in the second century was much greater than it was 60 years ago, and probably greater than it is to-day. It is quite certain that land in the plains of Babylon was of more value 500 years before Christ than- it is to-day. Land in Egypt 2000 years before Christ was more valuable than it was in 1882, and perhaps more than it. is after Lord Cromer's 20 years of splendid administration. The same is true of' Manchuria. In former times that country was full of people, now it is the home of bands of robbers, and is being occupied by Russia as a field for colonisation. The site of the Tower ot London was probably of greater value just after the Norman Conquest than to-day, just as the site of Covent Garden has become of much greater value than it ther- was. Wealth in England has not increased during the last century in anything like the same proportion as the population, or as the proportion of other wealth . In 1812. 1860, and 1895 the value of property in England stood as follows: —-

1-812. 1860. 1895. Millions. Land ... 1532 1748 1686 Cattle and implements ... 334- 350 391 Railways ... — 348 985 Factories • 85 207 292 Houses 315 813 2,200 Furniture ... 250 407 1,100 Merchandise 180 555 805 Bullion .:. ... ... 15 105 109 Shinning- ... ... ... ;27 32 104 Sundries ... 199 2641 * Now, in proportion to population land in 1894, as compared with 1821, ouprht to have been 2473 millions, it is really 1686. That is 787 short. General wealth other than land in 18942 should in proportion to population amount to 2605 millions, it is actually 10.120 millions, or 7515 millions in excess of the proportion. Tims, it i;- clear that general wealth has increased altogether out of proportion to the increase in value of land. General wealth is as much a result of increase of population as >'s land wealth. Mr. Carnegie ha? retired with, so it is said, £70,000.000. 0110 hundred years age that could not be said of any man—though brains were just as acute then as now. Milton sold his poem for £5. but to-dav £5000 would be a small price, and so on. " Opportunity''' is the factor in most things, as well as in matters relating to land.

The. real question is not how one kind of property increases at some period more than Another, but would mankind bo happier and therefore tartar, under State ownership than under freehold? Gibbon states Ins eonviction as to the welfare and hanmnes* of (he Roman neorde. It. occurred under a freehold tenure. Probably no country at a.iiv time lias enjoyed creator orosneritv. security, and general happiness than the United Kingdom enjoy? now That, also is under a freehold system. Next to England comes France, and again it is under freehold. 1' say nothing of America for lileo these colonies she is young, and ha not yet settled down.

'rims, whether we look to old and vanished Empires or to modern Empires and Republics, the same thing is seen : that the greatest happiness and prosperity occurs where men own tin'. land in freehold.—l am. etc..

J. IT. UPTON;