THE LAND QUESTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 16 December 1925, Page 6

THE LAND QUESTION.

To the Editor of the “Timaru Herald. Sir,—i note with interest the corrcs pondente in your valuable columns o, the important question of “lano values.” i wish to add a little more weight to the condemnation of tin present. extortionate values of land. The price of land was forced up hv the boom-after the war, and due no doubi as much as anything else to the upsetting influence of .such a victory upon fcho balance ot mens minds, .croaung, as it did, so great a feeling of .security and optimism, that it had to have expression somehow. So tip went land, and it seemed without much regard to it 3 real producing capacity, or the capacity of much of it to produce at all for years to come, and only, then after the expondj*ure of much ell'ort and money. Much of tho land that went up in value should have gono down, for wo must remember .tho fearful extent to Which much of'it’had deteriorated. "What with twitch, rabbits, gorse and poor state of fertility much of it isn’t worth the value of tho improvements. There have been other influences at work forcing up land values, but I think the foregoing the chief ca'uses, and we ; will leave' it at that. Hence wo can only conclude that the present prices have been determined’by abnormal conditions in abnormal times. Prices have receded a little, but not near the extent they should. The prices of produce .since tho slump have been so favourable that it lias retarded the levelling up process. This' season shows: prices of produce returning to a truer level, so tho least one can expect inequitable land values in order that.LliosfV-who produce may be ablo to farm iiy security against -ail tlio enemies that Nature offers, and- at the same time 'enjoy tsorne of that higher standard'of. living the city man gets, cutting out drudgery and daylight to dark workings, etc. The land question is a. very, important one, and 1. think that with regard- to price reduction there is room for government action and greater control of all land transactions generally.—l am, etc.. . FARMER.