FAVOURS FOR THE FEW.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12844, 30 November 1905, Page 7

FAVOURS FOR THE FEW.

AT THE EXPENSE OP THE MANY.

I To the Editor of the " Timaru Herald." j Sir,—The Bight Hon. Mr Seddon in his speech on the Land Tenure Bill, said: ;"You are asked in respect to the tenants j of the Crown, to make them a present of [nearly a million of money." I heard an j elector ask Sir W. J. Steward at Canningj ton on the 22nd. at his meeting about this matter, in what way they got the interest of this million from the settlers for the increased value. He said they got nothing for interest on it: the settlers got all the benefit of it. Now the people that give their credit for the money that bought some ,3131 settlers farms get "no benefit directly from this bit of business. -Is there' not something wrong here? It appears that the land does not come under the land tax either. Now £3,600,000 are at stake for so few a number of people and there is £1,000,000 increase in value and these peop"e get all the benefit of it; and the ones that pledged their credit for the money that :has done all this for so few a lot get nothing directly for their goodness towards this small select number. It is time that someone moved in the way of making a law that this would not be so. These sorts of laws have been the curse of Russia;.. and Fiance in 1779 rose in open revolt over this sort of class laws. When it takes £3,--600,000 to put 5131 farmers on the land it would tnke*somewhere about £30,000,000 to put 20,000 in farms so at that ratio it would be a long time before the State lot- . tery could pitchfork 20,000 farmers .. into farms and make things snug for them. Now the 999 years lease is to be sacred and no land tax to pay. I cannot see the reasonwhy the Crown should ask any one to pay this tax it all are. not served alike. Persia ps you coidd throw some light on the subject. •' . . I am. etc., AN ELECTOR.