LAND TAXATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13995, 2 September 1909, Page 5

LAND TAXATION.

VICTORIAN PROPOSALS, t'rwg A««uciat4on-By MELBOURNE, Sept. I'. In the Assembly, tlie Treasurer introduced laud taxation proposals ' to provide for'.the' levying ol: a tax of a halfpenny in the £ oil .estates whoso ''unimproved value ran from £SOO to £2ooo, tlirecinrfclnngs 'in tlie £ lip 'to £•5000, a jienny in tJic £* up to iIOjOOO/ 'ahd Vcoporrtiauitcly f inercasr ing to 2d in the ' £ where the valijc was £soj£loo, -,autl 3d nv the £ oil ,estates nbove £BO,OOO. The Treasurer, in- moving the second ■■-. reading, said, 'that the maiu v objects of the Jlill- were, firstly, the cxjlonsion- of agricultural settlement, secondly,- to .meet the expected :• shor.tajwv liu "tlie 'iCtistoins 1 rcr turns from . tlie" Common weal til: It was' proposed <0 break, ujr large estates by a-steady . increase. .The reason lor the • exvmption up to CS(K) «s c<Jnditio'ned • by a desrre. ■ to- see closer r set? tleiiient. ■ At present thefe - were 40.5 estates in Victoria; each, .over £25/100 • capital value, to men folding 1.29.0,000 , acres; of a value of £7,153,000. • Ow lug to 'the scarcity of land lor - settlement the Government found a. difficulty in keeping people. During tjie p<u>t,.i27 rears- the State had lost over 12,000 -i.v : extVsSv'of .iminifrl-atioa;, . He exnected" that the tax would yield ■ £318.0(H). • annua I ly.. wcl udi ngthe; present laud t.i\. It is pioposed to earmark £50,000 nniiuallv for the tpductiioii of- .railway; freights and; the construction ol -.country. railways.-

Mr Preiide.rnii.st indicated that t!io Labour party Would. -support -! he tux. ADELAIDE, « ">t. 1 The Vremier moved . "progress? v>} I< ml tax resolutions: similar jU> those I'lttoduced la«t ;v oar. ,