The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. OCTOBER 12, 1917. MR HOGG AND MUNICIPAL RATING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3776, 12 October 1907, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY. OCTOBER 12, 1917. MR HOGG AND MUNICIPAL RATING.

Thosk who attended the meeting on Thursday evening were amply rewarded for venturing out in such uncongenial weather. The speaker gave a concise, lucid, and ample explanation of what is meant hy rating on the unimproved value of land, and so far as one could judge, simply carried his audience with him. The practice of rating on the unimproved value of land is, as the speaker explained, no new and untried theory, but a practical, and progressive system that, wherever adopted, has given unquestionable satisfaction. That it has not been in operation in Foxton is explained by the fact that very few seemed to understand what it meant, and the others who did know something of its value, were of the retiring disposition, and would rather drift along with the stream than expend any energy in the enlightenment of their fellowcitizens. The people of Foxton are under a debt of gratittide to Mr Hogg, whether they are in favour of the proposal or not, for the amount of information he has given and the education he has willingly and kindly imparted in reference to a matter of universal importance. ■ In these columns we have again and again advocated this reform, and we believe, from the ready acceptation of Mr Hogg’s arguments, have been to some extent instrumental in arousing public interest in the question, if not educating the public mind. At all events, the meeting was in hearty sympathy with the proposal. In using Masterton as an object lesson, the speaker was on safe ground, for he was speaking of something he knew all about when he described the changes that had taken place there through the operation of rating on unimproved values, and he was describing the condition of Foxton to-day, when he portrayed Masterton previous to the introduction of the new rating system. The conclusion he naturally arrived at was: If such a change could be affected there, why not here ? And he gave very good reasons lor concluding that the same results would follow here as had done in his electorate, if the citizens as public-spirited and progressive. His animadvertence on the question of a public-spirited community struck a note that we hope will sink deep down into the minds of the people of Foxton, and wake them from the lethargic condition which has become proverbial of the town and people. The lesson to be learned from this part of the speech was, that while Foxton could and should lay claim for the spending of Government money in the improvement of the public buildings in the town, which were seriously in need of improvement, she.should give the Government an evidence of her confidence in the future prospects of the 1 place, by making local Improvements, of a substantial and. artistic character, thus showing that the people here were ready to spend their money, thus affording the strongest argument that could be urged for the Government to follow suit. In Masterton, he said, we borrowed and built an Opera House, we established our municipal gas works, and a high pressure water service, we did that, and other things as well, with the result that our water service is complete, and has improved the health of the town, and no one has felt the cost; the gas works supply gas of good quality, the town is cheaply and satisfactorily lit up at night, and it is costing the people no more than for kerosene, and we are adding to our plant, while our Opera House has never cost the people a farthing, and the town is visited by the best entertainments that come to New Zealand. Having got these things ourselves, we could reasonably insist upon the Government making the public buildings to correspond with local enterprise. You have a river to be dredged, a railway station to be covered in, a post office and other buildings demanding immediate attention. Take a lesson from Masterton, and you will get what you want. Will Foxton take this advice,, or remain in its Rip-van-Winkle condition of coma ? Communities all around are, by the exercise of energy, ;

marching, in the van of progress, while good old Koxton seems satisfied to lie bedraggled in the hoghole of stagnation. If a change in the system of rating is going to shake up our corpse-like somnolency, then for heaven's sake let it come quickly. No one is going to be injured by the change, and we believe the whole community will be benefited. Is it not a fact that there is a dearth of business places in the Main Street, and a dearth of residences througho.it the town, but owners ot suitable sites will neither build nor sell, the vacant allotments at present pay practically no rates, and so owners can afford to hang on and wail for the unearned increment. Change the system, and levy a proportionate rate on unoccupied as well as occupied or improved land, and those, vacant allotments will be made to produce revenue, and every penny of revenue thus produced is wealth increased, which means better conditions all round. Verv tew people can afford to let land lie idle at a loss, and in making it produce sufficient revenue to avoid that, labour must be employed, the employment of more labour means an increase of population, and increase -of population means, increase in land values. Who then is to suffer under the new rating system ? Why, no one, except the man who acts the dog-in-the-man-ger and will not produce revenue from his land himself, or by disposing of it allow some other person to do so. He will suffer, and we will have no pity -for him. We have a good deal more to say on this subject, and we will take every opportunity of saying it between now and the taking cf the poll which will be held in the near future, to decide this momentous question, when we hope the good sense of the people of Foxton will lead them to favour the side of equitable taxation and a progressive movement.