RATING on UNIMPROVED VALUE.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 36, 10 August 1895, Page 2

RATING on UNIMPROVED VALUE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAB. Sir, —l note Mr West's reply. I repeat again there is no unimproved value of land in New Zealand, but that all land—capable of cultivation—has been improved in value, even though in standing bush, or covered -with fern, flax, and tutu. The term "unimproved" ig misnomer. There is, to my mind, as much difference between the unim* proved value of land and the value of unimproved (i.e., in its prairie state) land as there is between a horse chestnut and a chestnut horse. Mr West's arguments are founded on Mr Henry George's book, and he (Mr West) says " The subject has been threshed out so thoroughly of late years and is entering so largely into practical politics." In the first place I query whether the subject has really been threshed out in New Zealand though it has in the United States of [[America, where Mr Henry George and his theories have been laughed to scorn, and certainly not adopted as they have been in New Zealand and are now proving a curse to everyone, laborers especially. I believe I was the first in New Zealand to publicly challenge the false basis on which the whole fabric rests, viz., the so-called un» earned increment. As for all the lawa directly or indirectly founded on this false basis that are " entering so largely into practical politics "—as per Mr West —what are they doing for us in this colony? Why, frightening capital because of the insecurity of tenure, stopping all improvements, and laborers by the thousand are begging food from door to door to keep them from starvation, ag they cannot get work notwithstanding the much vaunted tax on " unimproved values." I have written to the Feilding Debating Society, offering to meet all comers on the platform of the Assembly Rooms, to discuss some of the false principles on which some of our laws; have lately been founded. Roughly; iriy programme would bo a rapid criticism of (1) Socialism, (2) Single Tax, including the so-called unearned increment and the so-called unimproved value of land, (3) some of the dangerous Socialistic views as expressed in Hansard of some of our politicians, who are certainiy not statesman, but blind leaders of the blind. Perhaps Mr West may induce the Debating Society to allow him to be one of my opponents. I am, etc., George W^-iiS, Feilding, 6th August, I<s9§. • "■