WATERING RED PAINT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18275, 16 December 1922, Page 10

WATERING RED PAINT.

LABOUR AND LAND POLICY.

THE LATEST DEFINITION.

f_BT TELEGRAPH. OWN COBIIE3PONDEKT.]

WELLINGTON. Friday.

Mr. Nash, the national secretary of the labour Party, states that the land policy of the New Zealand Labour Party is worked out on these principles: "To ensure to the working farmer full payment for his labour; to ensure the facilities that will enable all people to have a home of their own, and to safeguard this home in the interests of the occupants j to eliminate, as far 'as possible,, the speculative element; to ensure to the community all the values created by the expenditure of public moneys; to break np all large estates so that the land may be brought into its fullest productive capacity; the fostering of cooperation in avery sphere of agricultural life, buying, producing, and marketing; the reading, planning, and building of farden cities in which all workers would ave their own homos, and the provision of fast communication services between the homes and industrial and business areas." The Post, in an article, says that the statement is rather vague, especially as to how the basis of the valuation representing the piesent owner's interest would be made; as to how community-created values would be separated from producercreated wealth; how the State would dispose of landa surrendered to it; and how the owner could bo deprived of his right to sell in a free market without confiscation.

"To hone of these questions," adds tho Post, " is an answer given, nor is any attempt made to givo an answer. Labour proposea to do certain things, and vhon it is atsked 'how?' it replies only that it will do what it has said, and ■where it ha» made two proposals which do not agree, this party seemingly declines to say wkioh it agrees to. ' '"The party is tisked 'which will you do?' end it* replies 'yes.' The Labour programme proposes that no land shall be sold or transferred, except to the State. Its manifesto tones this down to a declaration that the State shall be the sole medium of land transfer, thus eliminating the specula tire element. The latest communication adds oven more water, to,the red paint of the original land policy."