LAND TAXATION AT HOME

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 68, 13 December 1907, Page 5

LAND TAXATION AT HOME

. -4— 1 FARMERS' BURDEN, v EARL .CARRINGTONo ADMITS ITS UNFAIRNESS. ' BY TELBGHAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION' —COPYRIGHT, London, Decombor 12. Lord Carrington, President of tho Board of Agriculture, speaking in London, recognised that tho unfair burden of rates on agricultural land constituted a' logitimato grievance on the part of English farmers. He added that with a view to ultimately dealing with local taxation on broad linos tho Government intended to introduce a Valuation Bill in 1908. This question was discussed at length in the llouso of Commons last year. Speaking of the proposed Valuation Bill, Dr. Macnamara, Secretary to tho Local Government Board, said it would bo tho Government's duty to see that assessments of land for taxation should bo a very material item in determining tho expropriation of land. Commenting on the proposed Bill, tho "Spectator" says:—"Wo find no great harm in tho proposed per so, thongh wo very much object to tho spirit in which it is urged, nnd to tho notion that a Valuation Bill may bo used to penalise landlords. If, howovor, the Government are determined (o have an official valuation, we sincerely hopo that ono thing will be insisted on,—viz., that the valuation may bo acted on by tho payors of Death-duties. What wo' mean is this. Suppose tho owner of a landed estatn has to pay on inhdritanco .£SOOO in Death-duties, and that ho finds that a certain farm on his ■ estate has been valued by tho Government at ! ,£4OOO. In that case we would give him tho right, if ho likes, to say to tho Government: ' I shall pay you by Dcath-dutieß by handing you over tho farm in question and ,£IOOO in • cash.' A regulation of that kind wov.ld bo a i very sound and very proper, oheck upon overi valuation, which otherwise is only too likely to take place."