THE UNIMPROVED VALUE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 211, 31 May 1919, Page 8

THE UNIMPROVED VALUE

Sir,—l noticed a recent letter in your colunius putting the blame for the "congest ion of houses in Wellington to the tax on the unimproved value of laud, which, it was said, obliged tho owner to .build the houses close together in order to recoup himself.. What about the congestion of huiisu in the cities of Britein, where there was no tax on unimproved values? .And what of the labour, ers' cottages, small and often overcrowded, in tho' midst of broad acre?, and where the landowners were reaping a golden harvest? Nci necessity but greed is tat the root, of the matter, for look what rent (ho landlords are getting, and withal there are not enough houses to (?o round. The tax on the unimproved value of land is the most equitable, of all taxes, because it is taking for the. use of the people the value created by the pcoplo. Wo must pay taxes—then, which is fairer, to take the unearned increment, the value created by the'industry-and enterprise of the community, or to tax improvements, which then is a tax on industry and enterprise? Working men who .borrow the money to build, their houses find that, they pay )i\«s in interest and land value tax than when they paid rent.—l am, etc.. PAULINUS.