Gentlemanly and Courteous Landsharks.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7250, 27 October 1890, Page 3

Gentlemanly and Courteous Landsharks.

TO THE EBITOS.

Sic, — Farmers along this coast ought to begin to see through the gentlemanly courteousneßS of the likes of Mr Orniond and all other upholders of the land-shark-ing supporters of the Atkinson Government. What the decadence in Parliament means has been admirably shown in the fact that the Ormonds alone monopolise, aocording to the figures quoted by you from Mr Gannon, 178,573 acres. Yes, sir, you hit the nail on the head in pointing out that the decadence means that Parliament is now too lioneit and independent to do the work of landsharks of the Orniond type. Mr McLean, at Wellington, another candidate of the degenerate labour class, has just reiterated that twenty-three perBons own twenty millions sterling in value of land, while fifty thousand of the degenerates can only tot up one million in value as the total of their possessions. This leaves quite out of the reckoning the still larger number of quito landless people, who ! ore, therefore, nothing and nobody in the colony, because they have no stake. The great greed of the Ormond land-sharking claaß, as represented in the present Government, and hereabouts, by the gentlemanly Mr Bruce, will effectively prevent stakes being obtained by any except their own capitalistic order. Mr McLean also quoted from tho Property Tax voport to show how this same gentlemanly order under-estimated their wealth, and thus still further retained to themselves money that, in common honesty, should have been paid as Property Tax. If a man from hunger is tempted to steal a loaf, or, vulgarly speaking, takes what " isn't his'n," he's sent to prison. Not 80, however, with the class who falsify to the extent of millions (as per Property Tax report) in order to save their own pockets to the extent of a few thousands. The Stratford East Road furnishes an example of land which in largoish areas has recently been selling freely at from ten shillings to over one pound per acre, which ior Property Tax and general rating purposes was let off at about 2s 6d or less per acre. This was fair taxation according to the Atkinson Government reckoning. These instances ought, as tho American landtaxers put it, to show the cat. The working farmers are the clsss who suffer heaviest among land-owners by the adoption of tbe ideas of the gentlemanly and courteous Bruces and Ormonds. This is shown very plainly by the Property Tax Returns. All real and personal property is taxable, bar, of course, the £500 exemption. The returns are not always honestly made out. The system offers a premium to dishonesty. ThsworkiDg farmer who does give an honest return includes all his possessions — land, stock, buildings and belongings — deducts the £600, and.pvys taxes on the remainder. Every three years he has a chance of restating his position, but every year he has to pay taxei on tho whole of his possessions, and. in this way he is forced to pay over and over, and over again, and the more industriouß he is and the more ikilful, if he still x emains honest, the more and more he has to pay. If he happens to have stock for whioh there ig no market, and tho said stook i» literally eating its own head off, still there it is. It remains a possession, and though the tax has been paid one, two, or more years, so long as the stock remains, notwithstanding its unproductiveness, the tax must bo paid again and again. So with unused fodder «s hay. So with unsold grain, so with his dwelling and farm buildings and all improvements. The big owners escape, for they do not improve only just sufficient to pen in their stock to save omploying 100 many outsiders or shepherds, and while the land of tho working farmer, as well as all his improvements, are taxed nearly at their fair value, tho possessor of thousands of acres escapes with the lowest valuation, and having comparatively no improvents to be taxed on, quite apart fiom tbe custom of under-estimating, as proved by the Property Tax Commissioner, these large land monopolisers thus throw the lion'B sharo of taxation on the industrious, and thereby reap double benefit for themselves. Under an equal land or acrcago tax theso large holders would be compelled to pay at tho same rate as the smaller holder, greatly to the rcliet of the working farmer, and would then bo compelled to use the land or let it on reasonable terms to others. I think, sir, your view of the case is gradually being appreciated, and once the working farmers thoroughly grasp the situation, the Land Tax will be seen to be not only tho fairest but the most advantageous to working farmers, who are truly the backbone of tbe country. Peg away at the big estates till conviction ib carried, and thus set tho colony once more on the go-a-head track. — I am, &.c, * Equaii Taxation.