GOVERNMENT LAND VALUES. (Tapanui Courier.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 8

GOVERNMENT LAND VALUES. (Tapanui Courier.)

Government persist in continuing their scheme of inflated land values, and in this district properties are - continually beingraised ; and in some case? abova their saleable value. A case was brought under our notice lately of one of tne poorest farms near Tapanui town being rated at £7 an acre, although it only stood on the valuation books at £4 until quite recently; It appears to us that the land-owning portion of the community i» being abnormally taxed— in the first place directly in the way of increased land tax, and secondly through the Government labour legislation. As we have previously pointed out, the farmers would not bo seriously object to an increased land tax if the price of grain was at a paying point. For years past the wheat market has been at zero, and oats (our staple grain) are not giving the grower any profit. Wool wa? never lower, and meat is the only payable line produced on the farm. De'pite these low prices, the land taxes being increased all ovei the colony by leaps and bounds, so that the Colonial Treasurer can show a big surplus in his balance sheet. In this district some farms have been raised nearly 100 per cent, in the last three years, and this in the face of falling markets for produce. Landowner seem to be the pet aversion of the Government, who?e methods of legislation are to sciew the la't dollar out of the freehold farmer, and with the otl'er hand pander to Crown tenants. In this connection be it noted that the Ciown tenants at Catlins will not — or at any rate do not — pay county taxe^ The clerk of the Clutha County Council reported at la=t meeting of the council that the greater bulk of the unpaid rates were tho^e due by the Crown tenants. The rates due from the north end _of the county, amoug*t hccholder-, were paid. It is veiy apparent that the freeholders are , handicapped, inasmuch ;is they have to pay \ their taxes whilst Crown tenants, escape payment. Government are playing the game very low down indeed when they deviseways and means for over-taxing freeholders, whilst their own tenants are allowed to go free. Everyone must pay taxes ; but it is gro«?ly unfair to ask one class of woikerb to pay moie than another, and freehold farmers nowaday* are specially selected lor extra Ux«lk>u. We wonder that the j

landowners in this district do not makr a stand against the iniquitous taxation enforced on them, and protest against the new method of continual re-valuation and increased burden. If the colonial revenue weie falling, there might be some excuse for imposing fresh taxes ; but the Colonial. Tieasm-er continually boasts of his Eiirplus, and this year claims half a million to tho good. Raising a very poor farm front £4to £7 an acre is monstrous, and yet this is the increase jn the property of a landowner lately deceased who resided near Tapanui. The«e sudden increases are nob general throughout the electorates ; but it seems as if the department selects certain, localities for increase, whilst other portions oE the same county are not raised at all, and are practically taxed on valuations made 10 years ago. If the member for the district took any interest in the welfare of the people- he is supposed to represent, he would inquire into this matter of increased valuation, and not let the landowners be pcrsecu< ted by unfair taxation.