LABOR PARTY’S LAND PROGRAMME.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1922, Page 4

LABOR PARTY’S LAND PROGRAMME.

' <" Mercantile Gazette.”) In speaking during the- debate upon tiie Financial Statement, -Air Savage, member ter Auckland \t cst, a prominent supporter of Air Holland, said that when Ids party came into power, a valuation of all the lands in the Dominion, town and rural would be made by tic State, the values so made would be registered and would for all time represent the owners’ interest, and should the land at any time he sold, the owner would receive the registered value, the surplus, the unearned increment would pass to the State. We quote Mr Savage’s exact words: “ I want to state exactly what Labour’s land policy is ... it has

been stated that Labour stands for confiscation.”, Tf we refer to the Labour Party's own programme we find that under the heading “Land, No. 1,” it .provides for the conservation of the national endowments. No. 2, under that heading is “the recognition of the interests of the whole community in the land by ('at A land tenure based upon oecupanney and use, which shall secure to the working farmer the full fruits of bis "labour and exertions. (b) The securing to the community of . all values created by the community, (c) The elimination cf exploitation (T), of the working farmer by the institution of a State Rank; (2), of the community by scouring for it the rent of the land now absorbed principally by the money lending institutions.” Under the heading No. 3. Land, there is to he “ State valuation of all privately owned land to remain on record as t’’o measure of the present landholders' interest in the land.” This valuation being thus ascertained the owner, Mr Savage said, “will have the right to surrender bis land to the Government at the State, valuation,” and in reply to a member who asked: “ Is the State forced to purchase ” Mr Savage answered: “Yes, at the actual value at the time. What more can you claim?” If the Labour Party should come into power at the next election, then all freedom of contract with regard to land, whether it is the workman’s cottage in Parnell or the greatest pastoral property in Hawke’s Bay is to determined. An owner can sell only to the Government at a price already fixed by valuation. Whether Mr Savage, in staling that this was the Labour Party’s policy, was acting with Mr Holland’s approval, there is no evidence, except that neither Mr Holland nor any member of his party took the

slightest exception to what Mr Savage said, and as his speech showed internal evidence of careful preparation we think it very unlikely that he made what was evidently a policy declaration, without having first submitted it for his leader's approval.

Tf the Labour Party intends seriously to prevent any owner of land from selling when he chooses, or intends to restrict his right to dispose of it to whom, and for what price he decides, 11*o sooner the electorates know what they have to expect if the present Government goes nut, and Mr Holland comes in. the better.

fn one matt t. 7*lr Savage a.- reported in " Hansard,” stems to have found himself in a difficulty. He certainly intended to convey to the House that whenever an owner wishes to dispossess himself of his laud, the registc:ed value fix d the price, hut when pressed hy lion, mem hers as to whether the Government would he forced to purchase, it occurred to him, that lands might have fallen i livable since the date of the Government statutory valuation, and he replied: “Yes. at the actual value at the lime.” Wr doubt wry much whether lie correctly stated Labour's policy when he gave this answer, as if payment were to he at the values of the land made at the time the owner requested the Government" to take his property over, it might lie worth very much more than the registered value. Hut the object of the .State valuation is to register a record of the owner’s interest in the land ai the time. "There is to he no transierring or selling the land except to the State at the valuation arrived at hv the State. Hut the improvements that he puts in he is entitled to according to our programme.” ("Hansard ’’ IS, page

It tin owner wishes to s«!l his land he must, under this scheme, apply to the Government to purchase it from Ir.m. According fo Mr Savage no denial can he given. The State must buy when requested, and pay for the land, we submit at the registered valuation, plus the value of any improvements. There is no correlative right apparently for the State to acquire compulsorily at Ihe registered valuation figures, hut that is a mere matter of detail. The principle underlying the scheme is, of course, that the State, and not tiie individual, sliaii l;c entitles to any unearned increment.

A working man has a cottage property which has increased in value through the natural growth of tho city. He gave CoOO lor the land and house and ten years later he can sell for CIOOO, with which he intends to erect a more comfortable house, spacious enough to meet the requirements of his increasing family. The Labour Government, however, will take the CoOO profit, and knowing this, the owner does not sell. The Labour programme, it will he seen, makes no provision hy which the Dominion Treasurer will have the necessary funds to pay all those who notify their wish to transfer. The owner has not to find a buyer, r:e simply passes hjs property on' to the Government, and asks for the money. Where is that to come from? Government bonds issued at par, the value of which would he in inverse ratio to their number? until the time would come w hen the holders could not obtain toll or even five shillings in the C, or to meet the position, the Labour Government would probably . pass legislation authorising the Stale to issue hank notes, w hich would he legal tender, not only fur payment of hud, hut also to wipe out the four and a half per cent, free ol tax loan. That being done, New Zealand, like Germany, might continue the process until the whole internal debt Had been cleared off leaving the banks to discover some mentis by which depreciated paper could he paid here for drafts on London and Rank of England notes handed out there in exchange.