USING AND TAKING LAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6334, 28 April 1923, Page 1

USING AND TAKING LAND.

FRENCH SYSTEM PREFERABLE

New Zealand is, as yet, a young country, and consequently land is plentiful in proportion to the number of inhabitants. It is a common remark that the occupied land in this country is not farmed to anything like its full capacity, owing to so many farmers holding more land than they have the labour or the capital to utilise to its full extent. In this, as in all countries in process of development, the farmer is' also a bit of a speculator; he is looking to make something out of his land by selling it by and by. It is this speculative element that allures the farmer to get as much land as lie can; even if he fails to benefit much by its use, he hopes to benefit by its sale. It appears to us that the 'land tax might be imposed on the French system by which the tax is reduced in ratio to the actual production of the farm. Then the farmer who has worked his farm well, kept it in heart, and got high production from it, pays less tax than his neighbour who has not got so much out of his land. This system rewards the good farmer, and stimulates the indifferent one. It seems well worth a trial.