PROGRESSIVE LAND TAX.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 707, 5 January 1910, Page 7

PROGRESSIVE LAND TAX.

'; OF, : VICTORIAN . UpER:; ; ! ;^Thp.-^way.--..of' tho. iand;;reforin«r ,iu 'viotdrla. is;:-.hard," . writes the -''Sydney Morning-■;\Hepl([''.....Qt' December: 24., '■'Several' seWmes forrthe v ult|-. ■ niate ''laoilitauoii ~oj'.'-'closer'\settlement■ h^vo' : 'beenViiiitlpr \.disonsslqn \ for;, ,-flie, past. year ..or ,two; -.but "ail'.pf them-, have., o'ome..tp : npuglU.,-. First; of'.all, .Mr. Swin-. bufne r fpriijuiated•', a schcn\O; for-'legally. obliging - owners of ' estates above a.; certain -valueito .'dispose of their surplus. >vithiu-• avgiven'--tinio.-. in;. farrii-.. areas.; Theu/i this'schemes .sank .out' of; , sight,, and-in-iits■ l'lttoe ;the, Borit ;.deoided to 'impose .-a , .: land -tax, and , at the 'sauip time proposed legislation .to-.sane- : tioa'arevaliiptioii'of- an tlie, lands :of: tho ; jjtiite,', ); The : policy . o^used . a split, in ■. tho.--Ministerial-i'par.tyi;. and eventually ;.the , ■doViilaU;.bf the .■Beut;:Miriistry, .'Tim : Ministty-'iof Mr- : Jiurray,■'■. fprtitied by the ' opinion*' pt' »'- majority of; .the. ponstitu-;ew'iesV:ft's!'-deolaifo*a-. '.aty".a--'general:. election,- ■ has ,; :pros'sed :^onii with :what ssems' 'to 'havo ::been ..substatiially... tlw 'same. taxatiori'prop'osali! as;his"prede.possorjhnd;to ; drop..;.•-That,-is to.'say, lie proposed-a exemptions' arid; 'remissions, ' but'.. progressive 'in its »inoi'deridei '■ ; : ; The''iVssembly passed--the: Bill; 'but , tbe:Couu6ili ; at'ter. having.unayaihrig-: . ly- : endeavoured -••.to ■'! p'erau'ade'v: the '•' other. , '(Jhamber' : to':'aßre'ci":to airieridmefats : :which woiild -haw ; had« thi'.ofl'eot '.of. .putting' '.dft'-stilU'ifurth'er' , thewil //day, :,has now; : decided -by-'aii bvunvhelmirig: .majority.-to Tay-th:e >: 'Bill ;i a!iide. ; '. Cbnsiderliig',that,-.tho; Proposals, foi^dxtpndiug ; the , ':usefulness pt; 'thS Closer"-■ Settlement' Act'aro 'being l.ike>>ise yory,unsyiapdtlietically jrooeived, , , it is almost, 'aiiconceivable tfeat■■."a-- Govcrn- ! went ■ just [fresh:: oonntry, .will tamely acquiesbe'lin this .virtual part.of,. 'its 'policy. r may,. therefore,. oxpoot. a 'season''of i :pblitioil:.tui'moil-';:in s -<. the southern 'State,Tin-which' Itslsting, .party i : :lines''may;jiidfl^bfsHU-:lurthqr-readjust-riiont;. :,•;..',;'..,;■ .- )w'Y,' : :;.'-''~i:-t -y-. -!','■. ■'■''■■'£'■'• :i.!'We : aro in;dis-; bussing:;tlie,jpossibleveffeoivof,:.tho, ,vosi- ' tion ' upon parties,-; hbwoy<ir,.. as ■'. in-.-notinp ■a- fresh ; ':instance:ipf .tha'vrefusal-.-of ...the, citato .owners', to■ realisp: that the- <sjst-in?:.-conditibns'iof 'lftiid occupation anV.tho-j oUier,.StafesVpr,Aiist : valia ~'oan.uot.bo ;r>;, garde'd as pbrinansiit,- ..■ They ;nifty-iadnijt,;. An -m iabsMot; sovtV.of -is, ; liave'vthp,-number; ;*,ofr: small., freeublder's (largely, augmented: '.but, ,wh«n. it: ; comes'.tovpraotionlHinDasuroSilprr/exii .'poditihg "the^aubdivision- ofr;,largo«st.ates,' so: as-tp":prpyi(le',laiid:,f,or.; the .eniftll ;f «e.-... .iibldoritho^^'most , determined.>;opposjtion ; ; always l ; 'oari :: i> be, r. -Mokoncd. ■: upon , ,'; ;>;< Ihe policy of increasing•; onrVyeomanry! populatiqaVis,v.~'hpwoyer,.so.vital tq,tne;futura •welfarqvr bf :!: tlve'; 'TCommpnwealth,-'from .whatever, view regarded, that, up:vested. interests; Jhptfever .ppverful.-.cau.. bo ; aU. ■ lowedv to hstand-. permanently;, in. the .-way :of--its'consummation.ii-iWhen.j.tlvereforo, secondiChaihbers.V.niainly , sympathetip w .',th.ey:areJjothiher.e and in;,Victoria'iwita ; scti-, thernsslves; Ito'- thwart-'all , 'proposals , . thpialleriatedviands;of; this: country "to';' settleroentj ■. they ( ; »-are : merely i inviting: .ultimate popular, ■ resort '■ to'»estremo - -nieasures. i; If:-., the.:.; States * , canTOJt' J,, be -~ r elied>.', u pon,.-to-: grapple. wit-h. ■ thii'iproble'm. :.t!irough'-their '■ own ■Legisla- ;• (;uris,',;it}'becbnies very:diffioiilt to; sns- , (tain'- , %---Rtgun)en!i , '';ng»^at'V«no^l ? fldwaV. 'Parliainentvexcrpisipg ■its>::pow^rs:;'oii-di- ■ foot 'taxation''in , ' stion : a' way:•'as '-.to; ;Com'pel large ;qwiier's :to take,;d riipre■ realistic .view. ,;.of;' national ;rosponsib'ili]ties"'' v ■■ i '-' :' w'-yJ'-At '■'■'['.