THE LAND BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13927, 12 June 1907, Page 3

THE LAND BILL.

ATTITUDE OF THE SINGLE TAXERS. SYMPATHY WITH MR M'NAB'S OBJECT. (Pμ UwiT«n Press Abhocutioh.) WELLINGTON, June 11. Tho Single 'lax Jjcague has issued the following manifesto: — "Whereas ccrtn.ii) Opposition speakers, including tho Leader of the Opposition, ha.vo repeatedly declared that the Land Bill now licforo the country is based on Henry George's principles, and whereas tho ss.mo assertion is contained in a pamphlet now being circulated bearing tho imprimatur of the Farmers' Union, we hereby reaffirm tho principles for which tlr'e lca-gue exists, and in tho light of thess we define our attitude towards tlio Land Kill. (1) We hearlily sympathise with the object sought by MrM'Xab; for we regard land monopoly as the greatest curse of modern *oeiety, but while, wo nro in accord with the proposal (o reserve the remaining Crown lands as endowments for public purposes, and although we regard the introduction of the bill aa satisfactory inasmuch as it amountr to a tacit, admission that tho State purchase of laml is a failure. We declare our inability to accape the limitation proposals—(a) Because oven conceding their applicability to rural land they cannot bo applied to town land, and we insist that no measure can be satisfactory that, dow not doul with land monopoly in towns. In view of the prevailing excessive rents and in view of the fact that speculators arc growing rich by dealing in town properly, we hold that it is absurd to talk of lam 3 monopoly ns if it cxbled only in country districts, (b) Because limitation can Iμ scoured easily and permanently by increasing tho land tax which is applicable to town and country alike, Wo oppose both exemptions and graduations under tho land tax for the reason that the unearned increment belongs to the [>eoplo, and should not he taken from the people. Both exemptions and graduations facilitate evasions of the 'law, and both constantly lend to defeat the land tax as a rcvemie-producoi , . (c) Because no iratter how ?rcat the increase of the la.nd tax the cost of collection would remain the same as at present. Even tho abolition of exemptions would not imply any increase in tho. cost of collection, since the taxpayers have now to bear the cost of valuing the exempted land, (d) Because, owinir, to llm growth and progress of the colony, land is becoming too denr to be within reach of anyone but. the man with capital, and tho increase of the land tax, by compelling the subdivision of estates, would tend to bring land within reach of the poorer classes. (2) This league reiterates its opnofiition to the State purchaso of land either for settlement or for workers' homes, because: (a) The taxpayers should not bo called upon to (kit for the value thev themselves have created; tb) the purchase of estates by the Government opens the door to wire-pulling and intrigue, and almost invariably results in the State being called upon to pay extortionate prices; (e) tho purchase of estates Iras a tendency to inflate the value of β-djoining land to a speculative point: (d) land mint ultimately become too dear to enab'c the State to continue purchasing: and (o) the system can never solve the land question, in support of which wn would point out that after 12 years' trial of it land monopoly is now incre prevalent ihan ever. (3) We reitcrato our unalterable adhesion to the ercat principle of Freelrade as being the logical corollary of land value taxation. We refuse to countenance protection, whether presented under the alias of 'prefercne"' or otherwise, and we d"clnre our conviction that, having regard to the prevailing high cost of livine mid tl'.-> constant tendencv of wages to decline, the most urgent soeial reform is a substantial increase in the land tax and the abolition of Customs duties on sugar, raisine, potatoes, flour, and other necessaries."