The Single Tax.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 20 June 1890, Page 2

The Single Tax.

At Mr Macarthur's Palmerston meeting the following out-spoken opinion was obtain from the speaker, in reply to the question if it was not a " f vet that under the present in oidence of taxation they were burdening the industry of the colony, and allowing the land speculator to reap a rioh harvest." Mr Macatthut replied in the negative. They had tried the hind tax, and what was the effect ? The mortgagees escaped altogether, and the unfortunate farmer had to pay the whole of the tax, while the man who Was -really getting the benefit of the farmer's industry escaped scot free . What was the vaLie of the unimproved land in New Zealand ? The total value of laud outside boroughs was £76,000,000 ; of that sum about £57,000 000 represented the value of land, and £19,000 000 represented the value of improvements on ho land. In the Boroughs £15,500,000 repfesenting the improvements, and £19,000,000 the value of the land. In the country, therefore, they ha I £57,000,000 as against £19,000,000 in the towns, represent- d the valuy of the land, and £19,000,000 as againat £18,000,000, representing the improvements. At present the country was paying £2 in taxation to £1 paid by the town, and if thn unimpioved values only were taxed, it Tvou'd moan that the farming population would be paying L 3to eyvry Ll paid by the town. He was 'not going to support any pro o^il which would make such an alteration in the incidence of taxation an <hat (applause). The farmers, the who c producing force of the country, w. .re already taxed up to tho hilt, .Hud yet they would endeavor to throw more taxation upon them The protective tariff had • a'ready put v heavier burden upon them — they who formed the greatest factor in the country's prosperity (applause). It

was very easy to talk about shifting t the incidence of taxation, and in this J country, where the State had a lot of land to sell, th«y would wish to say s " You take the land and we will tax J you, while we in the town escape 1 scot free." He would never be a ] supporter of such a policy as that 1 (applause).