THE RENT QUESTION

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1931, Page 5

THE RENT QUESTION

P. J. O’REGAN’S IDEAS* (By Telegraph—Berßress Association) WELLINGTON, July 28. ' An appreciative audience greeted Mr P. J. O Regan m the Trades Hall when lie spoke on rent, house-rent and the housing problem. There was no mistaking the urgency of the prohlent of rent in this country inasmuch as it was notorious that rent was a severe tax upon labour, sa d Mr oMegan, and the housing problem was really an aspect of the labour question. While rating on the improved value was in the right direction, it tombed only the fringe of the problem, because, even if the local bodies levied the. maximum rate, they would get only a small proportion of the community value for the people. ,In this connection the speaker strongly criticised the Wellington City Council for appropriating £IO,OOO from an electric light fund in relieif of rates, which he characterised as a land speculator’s policy. The citizens entitled to the franchise far exceeded the number of ratepayers, and the honest policy would be to apply any surplus in reducing the cost of lighting, thus benefiting tenants as well ns ratepayers If this was municipal Socialism he hnd no hesitation in saying that the public would get cheaper service if the electric light was controlled by a private aotn*i pony, The Wellington Gas Company had recently reduced the price of gas, but the Wellington City Council would not reduce the price Of light because it was hamstrung by its obscurantist policy. Mr O’Regan denounced Ml schemes of State or municipal housing as futile and legislation restricting rent of the; right of the landlord to distain for rent was based on the false assumption , that the men who built houses were the cause of the trouble. As a matter of public policy, however, we should encourage men to buildi houses by untaxing an d otherwise leaving them alone. The cause of the trouble was the man who held land idle because he found it more profitable to speculate than . to build. . The speaker wpuM undertake to prepare a Budget ori three sheets, of (foolscap that would meet the situation, siniply orda-’nirig a flat <;tax on the unimproved - value of land and cancelling other taxation,. The result of this simple reform would be to put the speculator out of business, bringing valuabldjland into the market give .an inpetus'ito' building,' and • fey increasing the supply 'houses, reduce, rent, to its ' natural" level and" enable every man to become, his. own landlord. ...