MR. DUTHIE AND LAND VALUES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 246, 10 July 1908, Page 4

MR. DUTHIE AND LAND VALUES.

' Sir, —I was glad to see a letter from Mr. J. Dutliio in your valuable paper this morn-i ing, and I agree with much of what ho says on tho question of the Government land values. It is impossible to fix a common rule for land values to apply everywhere, and enable everyono to give an authoritive opinion on .its worth or value. . In tho buying and selling of land tho "bears" ard justi as active in bringing down tho values as tho "bulls" are in running them .up. , ' Mr. Dutliio quoted tho value of some agricultural land in England at £40.'per acre, and compared it with New Zealand. prices. In fixing the value of land many things tiavo to be considered, and among othere the climate.' Land in countries of long winters of snow and ice as well as heavy taxation not bo as valuable to farmers as one with a climate like New Zealand. Or, again, land even with tho best black or 1 chocolate soil, 40 or 50ft. docp, in a hot, dry climate, whero sheep and cattlo often dio by tens of thousands for tho want of water and feed, cannot bo as valuable as land in tho Dominion, where thore is always an abundance of both.,. Thero are also other considerations "in determining values. About fifteen years ago I was speaking to an old and close-fisted farmer, who had mado a fortune by working; a small farm about 100 miles from Sydney, New South Wales. Ho pointed out to mo a 20-acre block of land, for which ho had just paid £120 per acre cash for farming purposes for one of his sons. Thore. were no buildings or fencing on tho laud. -He then referred to another piece of land about 100 yards away, and said: "I would not give £10 per aero for that land." Yet to an ordinary observer with no practical experience or knowledge there was no difference to bo seen between the two pieces of land. I do not think that he would sell his small farm now for even a good dead moro than £120' per acre. Trusting that we will hear a - good deal more on, public questions in the futuro from Mr. Duthie.—l am, etc., SUBSCRIBER. July 1.