LABOUR AND LAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19828, 30 April 1927, Page 6

LABOUR AND LAND

, LARGE HOLDINGS ATTACKED THE PARTY’S PRESCRIPTION. Points of interest in Labour’s land policy wefe dealt with by Mr. H. C. Holland, Leader of the official Labour Opposition, in the course of an address at the Opera House last evening. The position of tho working farmer to-day, Mr. Holland contended, was not dissimilar to that of the Irish peasant farmer of from 50 to 100 years ago. Tho Irish landlord, however, was very often an absentee, but in New Zealand, instead of he being under the landlord, the farmer was under a “moneylord'’ system, and the “moneylord’’ was never absent. He was present all the time and the farmer knew it. Instead of giving the farmer freehold, the Reform Party had given him Dominionwide “mortgage-hold.” Mr. Holland said that the correct land policy would be one that would distribute the largest possible number of people over the land instead of leaving large areas in the hands of the few. The problem which would be faced by the Labour or any other Government which wished to deal seriously with the land question, was the breaking up of large estates, bringing them into closer settlement, and increasing production. Also, there would have to be a more equitable distribution. Referring to the aggregation of land in New Zealand the speaker said that the 43,500,000 acres of occupied land was held by 85,734 people out of a total population of close on 1,500,000. It would be bad enough if the distribution were on a just basis, but out of that 85,734 people there were 78,756 who held between them less than 14,000,000 acres and there were 6,978 who held nearly 30,000,000 acres. In other words eight per cent, of the landholders held among them 69 per cent, of the area, and 92 per cent, held between them 31 per cent, of the area. The Reform Party had gone into power proclaiming themselves the friends of the farmers, but to-day there was an aggregation of land in the Dominion, every bit as bad as when the party went into office. y Tackling the Problem, The Labour Party proposed to tackle the problem from two points: (1) a steeply graded system of land taxation which would act against the large estates; (2) a system of acquisition by negotiation and purchase where possible, and where not possible, compulsory acquisition, the land to be valued on a proper market value, with an Appeal Board on which local bodies, local landholders, and the Valuation Department would be represented.

There would be a lease conditional on occupation, with periodical revaluation. The Labour Party was prepared to stand or fall on the principle that men should not be allowed to hold large areas of land for speculative purposes. Whoever held the land would be required to hold the land and use it.

The speaker contended that New Zealand could carry 10,000,000 of a population providing primary and secondary production were organised on scientific lines.

Regarding the leasehold Mr. Holland said that his party supported the right to claim compensation for the assessable improvements which had been made.

Referring to the deluging of the country with mortgages, tho speaker said that in 1926 tho total was £282,000,000. At 6| per cent, which waft the average for that year, there was £17,500,000 due in interest on registered mortgages. For the current year the interest bill would be about £18,250,000, and Mr. Holland contended that it was the small land holder who carried the heavy end of the burden. Speaking on the settling of heavilytimbered lands, Mr. Holland said that such areas should be cleared at the expense of the State, with a State clearing party and a State sawmill. He believed that in this way timber values would also be conserved to the State.