If I Were Prime Minister—

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 8

If I Were Prime Minister —

THE SUN is offering a prise of £lO for the best reply to the question; (, What Would 1 Do if 1 Were Prime Ministerf" To-day tee publish the 25th of tlic entries.

BY

BUSINESS MAN

TF I were? To begin with. I should in such case be rather crazy, because like Lord Birkenhead, I can make more money in business than in Parliament, enjoy more freedom, and avoid shortening my life with unprofitable worries. Still, ‘‘lf I were?” Well, I should at once refuse to be “cumbered about with much serving” and concentrate on the “few things needful,” and the first of these would be a land policy designed to increase the prosperitv while it doubled the population of New Zealand. The cardinal points in my land policy would be five. (1) Create a National Land Agency, on improved lines of the present Public Trust Offices, with branch district offices, where the history of all land titles would be accumulated, where dependable valuations and sound expert advice would be available, and

the costs of purchase or exchange reduced to a simplified minimum (as in Queensland). I regard the extortionate taxation imposed on land seekers and land settlers by land agents and lawyers, taken with the lack of impartial and dependable guidance, to be one of the chief reasons why our “progress halts on palsied feet.” (2> Create a National Land Board, under whose direction the National Land Agency would function, consisting of myself, the Minister of Lands, and two picked and salaried men of assured land experience and proved business acumen.. This board would be the Government’s advisory board on land, immigration, settlement and development, including financial or instructional assistance, practical supervision, and help to secure implements, fertilisers and stock; and it would have power to appoint and direct expert agents. The Dominion wants more immigrants, not less; but the right sort, ready to develop the land, and the land ready for them to develop. Thai would be one important work of the National Land Board, to aid them in which they would have powers, through their National Land Agency offices to accumulate and keep up to date the history and valuation of all land in the Dominion. They would also work With the immigration policj'- at Home. checking it to secure a maximum of the immigrants we need and of the Imperial funds available to assist overseas settlement, which have hardly been touched yet. (3) Organise through my Land Board a practical scheme of settlement that would develop available Government land, acquire and prepare other land for development, and secure, to assisted settlers, the expert direction and practical assistance that would furnish them with the possibility and incentive finally to become their own freeholders.

t 4) Impose on all sales of land, after a date to be fixed, a graduated super- j tax up to 50 per cent, of all increments I of value due to public improvements, and urban or suburban expansion, after the date mentioned. The menace to a young country like ours is land j speculation, and it cannot be handled with gloves. The land of New Zea- ' land must be set free from the Old Man of the Sea, who gets rich sleeping while other are bent under his weight. Increments of value would be ascertained through the valuation department of the National Land Board and Agency. A right of appeal would be safeguarded, but the time has come when at least half the accumulations of value on unused lands, due to public improvements and growth of towns, should go to the State and I would ! allocate them to a National Law Board Fund for assisting settlement and I development of land. (5) Levy a special tax on all unused land, on the principle that if land is not developed the country is suffering loss, which must be compensated for if an owner persists in holding more land than he can use. If I go into details of my further policy 1 shall exceed my space, so. to ! name the chief points only. Electoral: Five year Parliaments. j safeguarded by a constitutional right of national referendum to effect disi solution, as a monitor against the possible misuse of untramelled power. I would not now tinker with any alteration of the voting system, but would extend the limit of election expenses and see that the regulations were observed, with no loophole for wealthy parties to advertise individual candidates on general appeals and manifestos. Liquor: A two issue paper, bare majority, and five years period. If prohibition was not carried I should immediately propose reforms to eliminate the obvious evils of the traffic. Unemployment: This cannot be cured by doles, or artificial temporary jobs. Land development first, public works next, then fostered industries must create a genuine demand for labour. But a drastic check on unsuitable and unabsorbable immigration would help. Industry: I would establish a National Council of Industries, to include, besides members of Parliament, co-opted business jnen of distinguished ability and representatives of trades unions. This council would survey the whole field of industry with a view to (a) closer understanding and cooperation between employers and employed; (b) scrutiny of combines and trusts; (c) legislation protecting the public from exploitation and the small man from unfair extinction. The small man is an asset of no mean value, (d) The fostering of industries by removing unreasonable hindrances and the encouragement of new enterprise. Education: We are at present making a nation of teachers and professionals rather than toilers and producers. The system needs overhauling, and the standards of esteem for toil raised. False values attaching to sheltered professions need revision, by a redistribution of the national badges of honour. All school books should be Govern-ment-provided up to the proficiency standard, and subsidised 50-50 after that. Defence: I agree with Cervantes that “preparation is half the battle, and nothing is lost by being upon one’s guard.” but I believe that development of mobile air forces is of paramount importance to New Zealand. Taxation: The graduated income tax should be increased for incomes over £, 2,000. Taxation of breadwinners for families should be decreased, and allowed for all costs of education, especially technical, after the proficiency standard. Railways: Popularise them by revision of fares and freights, increase of comfort, check of waste and abolition of fossilised regulations. Payment of Members: They are now paid more than most of them are worth, or could earn in business. When the standard of membership is raised, time enough to raise the honoraria. Meantime the exceptions to the present mediocrity must endure their inadeqnatc rewards.