TAXATION IN THE CITY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4512, 13 November 1901, Page 6

TAXATION IN THE CITY.

TO-MORROW'S POLL. DISCUSSION BY THE RATEPAYERS' ASSOCIATION. A meeting of the Wellington Ratepayer*’ Association was held last night. Mr A. L. AVilson presided. There was n fair attends ice ol members to discuss a motion by Mr \V. McLean affirming ‘That this meeting is of the opinion that the time has airived when the City Council should raise the necessary rate from the unimproved value of all the land within the city, in lieu of the present system of collecting rates on improvements, and thus scienti. tioally robbing the industrious for the benefit of the non.industrious.” The motion had been partially discussed at a previous meeting, and the discussion was continued last night. Mr Wright agreed with the principle of rating unimproved values, but he feared that it meant truiu to a large number of tradesmen in the principal streets of the city. Ue would therefore oppose it. H« instanced the Bank of New Zealand, which (he argued! would be rated AMO more per annum under the new system than it would under the old one. ” And yet they said that the new system would be to the advantage of those who put good buildings on their land. The ‘‘jerry builders” who had put poor houses on very small allot, meuts were the men who would be benefit, ed. The tendency of the new system would be to create slums. Mr Watson thought that the good of the greatest number should be considered, and he left it to the meeting to say if the business people or the general public con. stituted that number. Mr Davenport wanted to know how the new loans would be affected by the system. There was AM50,000 to be raised, which would Re in no way reproductive, and he would like to hear from Mr McLean his opinion about whether that could be met under the new system. Mr Worth thought it strange that the large landowner should so suddenly have become anxious for his poorer brother. The speaker was in favour of the new sys. tem. Mr Drake objected to the argument that it was wrong to tax a man heavily because a big bank and a big warehouse were put up on each side of his section. There was so much unearned value put on laud in that way. and the sneaker only wished he had a section of laud in the same position, lie knew that the system was in a measure unknown, but he would like to see it tried. Therefore he would vote for it. Mr McAlpine was surprised at «nd. den Burst of philnnthrophy in Welling, ton on behalf of small proportv.owners. As to Mr Wright’s argument. Mr McAlpine thought they were founded on a bogey. If anybody had risk of suffering it was the mail "with bouses to let. There was the risk of over.building. He had. however, five bouses to let—and he was willb'g to take his risk under the new system. There were old buildings in Willis street and T.ambton quay which would have to come down—and a good job it would be. The nev svstem would save J2IOOO a year in Citv Council expenses. Mr Oir was absolutely sick of the old clantrap he had just been listening to. He did not know why he was talking lo them himself—be had really nothing to say. He considered "free.tax” was mere "scrum, shanking.” If the change came nßout it would be as expensive as the buying of each section right out. It appeared to him that people’s thinking powers were going wrong. The tendency of the new rating system was to pack men like her. rings in a barrel. Mir Duncan suoke sHnngl” in favour of rating unimproved value. It was a sound solid principle, and its effect would bo fo expend the radius of th* city. Jjet them try the system, aud if they were nor, satisfied in three years’ time they could r“vert to the present method of rating. They hod the example of Palmerston, which had no wish to go back. Mr Underwood said In’s experience of changes of taxation was that it generally happened to be a raising of rates under the guiso of a great benefit. It the new sys, tem was carried everyone would have to pay more in the end. After careful con. sideration of the case in all its bearings, he had made up his mind to vote agansl bringing in the system to Wellington. Air Arnold was convinced that an extra taxation of Alls per annum would be im. posed o n every small shonkeeper if the new' rating was adopted on Thursday. He was afraid they were going into the mat. ter without adequate consideration : there, fore Tie would not be prepared to vote for it at present. Mr Atkinson was of opinion that rating on unimproved values was the proper v.ay to tax the people. Ho was also convinced that “small owners” would uot suffer un, dcr it. . Mr McLeod thought that the bringing of the uew r principle to bear on leaseholders would be unfair unless it was m»de to ap. nly in conjunction with a Fair Rent .nil. Because it was unacfompanied hv that ho would vote against it on Thursday. Mr Wilson said that the "small man” —about whom so much solicitude was he. ing shown —would he taxed lighter under the svstem. The rich man would he taxed more' heavily. The argument that money would be saved Rv adopting the new svslem was erroneous. If the system was adopted it would necessitate a revaluation of the whole city of Wellington. He spoke of what he knew', for he had made a valuation of the citv a few years ago, and the vain, ation stood mimh the same now. He was in favour of the new; system. He had started investigating it aa a sceptic, hut every day he became more convinced that it was founded on a sound principle. There were fifty instances he could give in rno citv where there would be hardships under it, but on tbe other hand, he could adduce five hundred instances in which there had been hardships for many years past. Air Field ssid he thought the main contentious of Mr Wright had not been controverted. , They had been invited to try the new' system, but he thought they should first know what they were going to vote for. The case, he thought, was not proven, and therefore he could not vote dar it. Air Ale Lean. in replying, mentioned that he had for sixteen years past been advo. eating the adoption of the system of rating unimproved values. In the early days movements had been made to have him thrown in the harbour. fLauglßer.) Ho had heard obiections raised by big cor. posations to building new offices because of the increase of rates that would follow. The reason why the Bank of New Zealand had to pay a slightlv increased rate was baeanse it occupied land that would Rave sufficed for four good large shops. But what was AMO to such an institution? As to tbe argument about the great increaso of taxation on buildings erected on lea«e. hold properties, his nninion was that the absentee owners should R“ loaded with any increased lew—that would meet the case. Personally, the svstem would interfere pre. judicially with him. but he looked at the matter from a broader standpoint. Build, ings dewed and lost value, but land —»nt up. and that was a great reason for levy, imr on the land. As to the cost of re. valuation, that would he a trifle. Be. sides, if the value went up it would only can » reduction of taxation per property. The City Council, roughly sneaking, re, niiired ,£'56000 new annum to meet its liabilities —and if there was a greater £-g. gregate total the taxation in the pound would be less. In conclusion, Mr jicT,oan laid stress upon the experiences of Galil-o and Harvey—whose discoveries were based upon sound basic principles—and lold his hearers that he knew that the time would come when the system would be adopted everywhere. It was decided not to take a vote upon Afr AlrLeau’s morion, hut to leave the de. cision to the ballot box.