The Land Taxation Question.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XV, Issue 231, 25 November 1912, Page 1

The Land Taxation Question.

LLOYD-GEORGE'S INQUIRIES,

SPIRITED CRITICISM BY BRIT

ISH SQUIRES,

Sir J. F. L. Rolleston, M.P., protesting against the land tax inquiry: "It is reported that Mr Lloyd-George and his Single Tax Committee are holding meetings this morning at Gaddesby, where a room has been specially prepared for them by one of the landless millionaires, who provide funds for the spoliation of the landowner. This class have even contributed to the unpopularity of hunting, for which this part of Leicestershire is famed throughout the world. The assumption of the right to ride over, not only themselves but with second and even third, horsemen, some hundreds of thousands of acres of other people's land without payment, not knowing and unknown to those whose hospitality they take without being invited, lias not tended to endear the hunting fields of recent years to the occupiers of the soil. The camaraderie of former days has departed surely that in the centre of the top country of Leicestershire a band of conspirators should have foregathered will be taken as a croAvning insult to the metropolitan fox-hunt-ing county, and will induce those who occupy aiul own the land to smoke out in some way this hornet's nest." LORD ROSEBERY'S COMMENTS. Lord Rosebery, to his tenants at Postwick, Norfolk: "I ami not sure that an acquaintance with the problems connected with land is not the most desirable of all forms of knowledge which should be acquired by a member of Parliament, as my son is. We have had in many parts of England and Scotland a most disastrous harvest, but I have only seen two authoritative remedies pro-, posed for it. One is to investigate whether further taxes can bo put on the land, and the other is to clap all taxes on the land. T'l.at is a remedy which cannot com', end itself to all of us, and one which I think would be singularh futile in its operation. You remember the parable of the Good Samaritan. A certain man went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves. A good Samaritan came by and revived and refreshed him, but I do not remember that he did it by clapping a blister upon him. But that seems to be the modern philosophy of reviving a decaying industry in this country."