LAND TAXATION.

Southland Times, Issue 17679, 17 June 1914, Page 10

LAND TAXATION.

To the Editor. Sir. From which of our sins have tire Gods sent us the plague of Liberalism and Trade Unionism. Seeing this country was under their rule for so long, the irony of it is almost laughable. After all their talk and blow about helping the poor leaseholder to get on the land and make a living, they go and make a law which, if properly carried out. will bankrupt every leaseholder in New Zealand. I refer to the County Council valuation law. By making a re-valuation on a fnll valuation basis, and making the leaseholder pay full valuation of the owner’s liability, you put such a handicap on the leaseholder that it will exterminate him in a very abort time. It will be impossible for him to make a living. I have a county tax here which runs up to nearly double the rent I pay the Crown for the lease, so that if everyone is taxed on the same scale as myself this law will soon bankrupt the lot, as no leaseholder is capable of paying such a heavy tax. It looks as if otrr Liberal Government, when in a dangerous frame of mind, passed a law to tax themselves and then clapped the whole liability on to the leaseholder’s back. Something should be done to stop the owner of the land from making the leaseholder pay his llabilitv in taxation.—l am, etc., JOHN BEER. June 15.