THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 14

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.

Sir,—To many Radicals it is astonishI ing that a representative of Labour like Mr. Arnold, 11.P., should advocate the | appointment of a Royal Commission to ini quire into the causes of tho high cost of j living in New Zealand. This costly pro-

cedure is absolutely unnecessary. Mr. Arnold and other Parliamentarians who favour such a commission ought to know that tho only statesmanlike, the only effective way of considerably reducing tho cost of living is by tho gradual abolition' of all taxes upon industry, 'and the: gradual' raising of all revenue' required' to defray tho cost of government by the taxation of land values, which a'ro created by the public as a whole, 'which rightly' belong to the public, and which, therefore, should bo appropriated by tho .State for public purposes. This remedy is simple. It is ;iust.. Why not commence, then, to apply it at once? Is Jlr. Arnold afraid to advocate this simplo measure of justice? Let him and the other Labour meinlxTS in the Iluuso come out boldly and tell the workers tho tnio remedy. It will pay them to do it now instead of waiting to sco which way tho cat jumps. I would commend to their notice Henry George's book, "Protection or Free Trade,"

The wage-earners need honest, fearless men in Parliament, who will put self on ono side and stand up for economic justice, and for everything which makes for national righteousness. The time is ripe for a great change in our*fiscal policy. A young country needs cheap land and cheap commodities if it is ever to have a large population and a good market within its borders for its produce. Only thus can a young country develop into a great and -powerful nation.—l am, etc., OBSERVER. September 18.