LAND VALUING-MR. REESE IN REPLY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 4

LAND VALUING-MR. REESE IN REPLY

"i'.'Sir,—;The' word "obfuscated" :was once used by _tho redoubtablo. Scobio M'Kenzie" with telling effect—quite a number'of alive people sought the aid of their; dictionaries on that occasion; Therefore tho word' a3- used by me has pa'rlianienta.ry-.sanction. '; And' "infidel" is.a term often used by-my mother and other auld Scotch bodies to,indicate' an unbeliever, in the -'icebound; creeds of Kuoxi 'Luther,- and Calvin. -And, ■ in; r a wider sense,, -it: moans much- tho: same thing as those other' words used .with .-'such.: villi .respectively-by theBishop of Auckland "and our own Dr.Gibb, namely;',''Pagan"/and; "Secularist;"- .'So 1 am following: goodfmasculihe,' if' riot', gentle, authority-in .theuseVof strong words;meanihg no-personal offeico.'lndeed, 1. would,be loath to,- offend.niy ;16ng-timb;;friend and fellowbattler "in the ; that needs assistance. '. ' 'But, what has.to.be.done .'.Mr, .Gardner'and I, .with pur long'experience,idiifer widely bn' ; tho most important phaso of .all mundane sub- - jects.■'■"■'{ The increasing) land', values disturb, social..conditionsjnioro/than.'all other causes, combined. .'■.'. Thoref orej Hhp,■■"truth : , about, this ! chief.'■ cause ..shouldl'be./carefully ascertained, ap'd made/manifest,' so that, the average man' 'br- ! woman" could.sob..-for,.themselves.to what extent'enterprise,: industry, .capUalj'-d'nd.'iab-' Pur''are increasing rents... ■This'lis;where 'bur'social.'.trouble:'comes' from,, ■because; increased .rents add to .the cost of all' thai,. men:and, women require.. to.buy -'.or "produce.' /And'; rents, increase.', with land, lvalues..' '';,:'-'■. ■::'■ ..;\/;- ;'■'■ '' •/•;'..:■• y v'-r '■■:■_: ■_■_:

:-.'- ! Yet Mr.; Gardner,' withthirtcenycars' experience as ;a district- valuer, tells 'us in'effect that :he" ; has .no faith .in,-the mothod:.which. records,tKb rentable.'value of ;landl I scarcely kriow'what tp-tliink.abbat such .a'statoment, .as.'l:knb\v'tH : at' in : fhis'':;district several of the estates .purchased '.by";tli6. Government' have; mor&'tuah .doubled m;value, during -the'jlast;eight 'o'r : ;teri yeafs.r'iTako, jthe .Oharangi Ba-" .tate,''.near, Feilding,vasVo ,[^^"samplo, 'and what Mfi'Lethbridge'said'-'about it in the' House; ,whori : -urging'ithe'-Miiiyiibr for,'-Lands (Mr.M'Nab) to ': protect;; ',th.b; : riyer; bank;... Ho. said I land.was bebig'.'washed-'away worth..£6o: per .acre.;' Now that,;'s'ame-land;was,:- boughtior £ls,per, acrb;someiteiiiycars ago.; 'Moreover,' several of - tliblbriginal -selectors ha ve sold out \recbntly,. bnb.'.ipf "thpht/feceiying £26 per atop. his. impibypmbht;. and goodwill;; aud.anacre for the sambcon;sidbrations^■'? ',"■;{>.-. ;.;.!;• A; .'•" : '- T ; .;- ■;:. '- ; - ■ :■;'.>: A j .-Then;- again, . take , tho Ohakuna : .Estate,,hbar Bulls.''Tn.e .G.ov.ornment: bought .'.that at £13 per aore and some -threoor four years,' tfgd Mr.' Johh'.Stevehs/'.wlib.-was.theni.a' hi'omber of the Land'-?i?pafdi'..,wh'en' urging the. Com'missioncr ,tb"havoia' few bundreds spent on.the riybr.'bed-,to.protect the interests of settlers ':arid'thepublib,o3tatej:said, "Tho whole of the -rower'.'flat':is,.w,brth.;£3o- per acre.'-''■■'•. .. ■ ~ Now, what: js, thp.reasonablo inference, to be drawn.frbinfactsa'stliese?, Mark, thte latent ■ virtues',of' thc ; soil-,wcro : greater' , .tcn, years 'ago ( :than; now,can'i the .markets,for' produce ''hive; remained- milch ■ the same, 'consequently' the'so-callid "producing value" is less.-(What then? : Is it: possiblp;tbat;;tbi3 modern.fetish of; the- Farmers'ii'fTJnipivjwil]': hold -possession of'-men's mind 'mublt.lbng'er,? /Only think'of itl;;.lf thiß-th'epry'v'of i t''.^4irit::pay, ,) ..,wero.. .adbpteu in land valuingihe incentive to produce would be less'^becaiise'the taxing'value would fall: correspondingly. . Then ithofolly' .b'f''snch:'a : :prbnosh'l'.;!i(-ouldi assert _be-: "ca'riso'as'thojprbduciilgior taxing valuofell,;; Isc-' and .so. .wpuld'rbntsSEvch'MKMassey and his merry, Imeh Imow-th'il.tmncli.'.; It was' tho truth Con--tajned'in:these;.'dediictibns - that ,'co'nstraincd. him his .followers* to/a. man-; to;_go.;into: 'the samo'Lobby;witli Sir Joseph to"increase, thb' graduations;of '.the' land'tax two. years, ■ago '■' ■'.■'• And 'this I'circiimstahce': alone .should; ;corivincb'Mr.; : Rbbert-Gardner, or -anyone;else.-.. >ha't'the'true. value of land.is the (price it will. fetch in thb bpen'.ma'rket.^l'am.:,ote.V-.'.. - ' ;'• .;::';-:.".'.: l-.;- ; : :'ri'V ;ALEX. ; : REESE.:'' ;i-jPahiatua',' jlay; 1909.';: ;■ '. )' ■' v ';-.';