SPOLIATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 3

SPOLIATION.

AMAZING EFFECT OF LAND BILLROBBERY TO FOLLOW '.;;;-.■; PREMIER SAYS "AN OVERSIGHT 1" EVEN SOCIALISTS STAGGERED. In tho Land Bill.there are many defects.r One hi particular ! is of a 1 most extraordinary character, inasmuch as it adds to expropriation under the. compulsory leasing, clauses tho extra, tor-, ror of pillage.; .

, As the Bill the Government, may. evict tho owner- of an estate of £40,000 or over,' and. pay him nothing but ii per cont.yinterest .for at least ten years..'' No"provision; is made for relieving the unfortunate person evicted of.the obligation to pay graduated land tax on the land wrested 'from: him. without, being paid for. .To take.thecasb of a £200,001 estate,' which: bust illuatrates the principle; of the- Act, the position will be as follows: Olie'owner; although ho may have been-making, say; 6 per.cent .on..his,''"holding,-, is driven'; out and paid' 4} per cent by'tho State. Tho State _. -will ".-'take from 'J-his 4i per cent taxes .to the extent of -2J per cent (or 3if'per cent. in. the'case of an "absentee"), leaving'. th'o : evicted pwsbri U per cent (or only f per cent if'an abseu-. Tefl). This in addition to tho fact that j the victim of the eviction clauses cani not get hack-' his capital /'for 'at | least, ten years, y Thus the. Governi'ment's .proposals'are of such a character, ithat in tho,'case of. the large holdings tho; State, 1 may,: confiscate all the owner's capital 'rights' : for -'.at"/least-:t«ri years, and at the same: time deprive him" for ten years of from 66 2-3 per cent. td.'-87i per cent of his annual, inwme.- . ■ ..-■' . .-.- ■'..'.-."., "■■ ■ ■-• /;."•'-.

.■.'.; lleferring to tin's extraordinary'pro-: posal: yesterday,:; the .Prime; Minister, informed, the .press;representatives that the matter would be:remedied. : : It. was. lie. said, that, where ,'th'e : dis'-z .'position 'of.. any portion' of: estates of over £40,000 in ..value was' affected by 1 'way,'of lease the land, leased would not bo; subject '.to' the graduated: tax. ,It. ivould be/unfair, he admitted, 1 -if owners irere to,be. required to pay graduated: ;iand tax on/the.,aroaywliich had' been, .:takenqut'of. their oceupationy-Thero'was. :no intention, tbiinalje hn : owner still; •responsible for, "ihb ; payment of taxes ouyland,': which; ■ although' he was horn:in'a]|y; still the owner, of: it, -he was ,noii jin a' position :,to .work. - Provision was made for this - in/the rough draft ;of the'' Bill, ■;. the .-Prime /Minister: i said,: ■and;, its absence'.in ■': the filial..- draft ,escapeii,' notice';; :the': ! omissibii'. would "'--bei'roctified ;when the .Bill, is'.going through ■tWe'Hbuso;,;"- Any-loss of revenue in that: direction .would, ;he,added,'.be more than. made upyby .the. revenue' to belderired- , directly'.from'..,iho'; increased settlement *tJiat,. ivould ,be /brought : about' by :■ the of :tho .; - ■;;- ,; '.- ;;

: "A PATCH-WORK; CONCERN/' y i : - '';: LACE ING, INEFFICIENCY, ;; 'A [./"A; patch-work- -concerri'V-;'were:/.the words emplbyed/hy^Miv: A.. i; W. ; Hbggl .mem,ber,-for. Mastertori;.;'shd '. ;,'t,. fornicr,, , : meinber;of tlio. Ministry;:tb'suni -up,'the designed ■ to '~harmonise.; cjctremeSj; but : was--likely to'; produce all-round 'jrrita-: ,tion.;,: 'It, sadly ; l lacked '-.efficiency'.";: The; cpriiiiiunity had /been:.demanding -agra-, rianreforni) something that, would: open'' up" the, landyfor';,settlehibnt;, purposes,-' but'.('illstead,.o'fy.a...plough.they had bben .pre'seiited'only, with."a,road-sefapcrV ahdmudrheaps might;be anticip'ated.' : /-Tho '. concessiony: bfi|--y-,'th;e.'.':;freehold;yyfoj Crown; - tenants;;: on ' '■', tli'e':y .'. terms proposed : J -. tweaty-flye ■' A per '■ ;,:■ ceiif.; ' ■■plus''.' original /value / or',, hardly be'.-much ..taliehoadvantageyofr eyeri if, the: measure;became' law;:,: Many ' l lbaseiin-perpetuity, : .'teriahts'. l perfectly-satiaiietl'with'their tomireyjf theyy.cpuld onlyyborrbw' from';the ;G6vorumeut; or private sources •' in' the samb way "as holders of.-ihe "fec-simplo.lAt.pre-; sent-theyN could /'getho' advancb except: from the State: Guarantee.'Office; : .and that, office :had, : little;y6r ho, 1 money to' lend..; ,To allow''.Crown',tenants' : under the,:.. Land.' for 'Settlements . Act -■ to "acquire'. thb, freehold ' was ■ simply -to ihbld put. an ''inc'ehtive.-<to -further aggrega- 1 ■ tion" and' gambling. - The Crown' tenant who- sought' aylipme or;farm.'where, bo' .could-;maintain- a;.fainily,; : 'm.: comfort". vyould, certainly-'/refuse'' te'ex-changb a light rental.' for.; a; mortgage; or.i a, State landlord for a; mortgagee; but the/speculator successful, at; tho ,;ballbt' . wlib' found that his: leaseliold had '[largely, increased, in. .value ,would ,Tgreedily.'secure a .tenure/under,/which', hey could /sell,or- barter,; at, a/pi-ofit;'.; ■The:. i proviRioiis for leasing , and subdivision /;-,bf pastoral .a'ndygfazirig" run's''.wprei.'-similar. to. those 'carried! put in' connection with .-education "reserves. - Education.: leases illy the. ;Wellingtoh /district' had' l beeit! administered'' for\; hiany/ years - .by.: 'the School,/ Commissioners with■■".:singularly, satisfactory, results. ,; Restriction A:uf area-was a; miserableZbbne.held ;out [for the captivation of the. land hatibhaliser. /Fancy- ."restricting", ■;• people' / t0,.: four hundred - acres .first-class" land' // and' two. thousand acres .second-class. v/Howmany prosperous dairy- farmers varied from l fifty/to 'one. hundred acres. / -If th'ero was to: be._-. a defined/,limit, 'why was-it; not regulated 'by' situatibn;, and' vaiue,._ as well;-, as ''other coriditipiisyof, egual importaiico tb tlie. nature or capa'--bility of thersoii? :,- / v/.':/y 'A:A:. AA

].: ■Tho: compulsory -.. leasing .'.of- - land': for. settlement purposes, should-bb.' a: : last; ■resort;'-' It was,,,.extremely drasticy,,s'o inubh so. that even the nidst l pronounced ■ nat-ipnalisor 'would/ hesitatb.ybefore-;ho expressed■ approval,: I'o'ssibly.tliere"was a'difficulty in-finding th'ermonbyior'the immediate purchase.of,'lands "tlmi/wefe offering./ But; if. ■'; huge:; estates,, -wore standing intlia'midst of close 'industrial' settlement, 1 why not 1 rely oiitlio'opera-. tion 'of tho- graduated tax. -The -owner who was putting. his ■ land ''■' to" a .good /■and; I 'profitable'.-'iisb:,'had.- little ,to'■ fear from taxation,' 1 but. the 'monopolist and. speculator,,who [should bo reckpiied-witli. by the State, under a iudibious: system of.-.-'taxation would -speedily-'make 'way forVa better 'class of. settler.' The Biil; was inimical ;as:^ell : as'.*ctangefous:to tho mining interests.. ,'• It;,.woukl./not cope, with - tho;"malign .administration that had allowed the eyes. to/ho' : pickod out: of, the liiiig Country.,; It.', wdiiltf foster, rather than ,counteract, aggregati.oii and land gambling, and altogether it,was a- ofl'ered to "the Jaiicl hiingorcr and'the luiemployed who -'-wore crying aloud.for:bread. . / '- 1 -y-