LAND SPECULATORS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1842, 20 June 1918, Page 2

LAND SPECULATORS

THE Post proclaims that during many years it has reminded the public about the evil of land speculation, by which the ultimate genuine, hard-working settlors have been loaded with “jobbers”' enormous profits. Many a time this exploitation lias been denounced in Parliament, but these schemes have continued in many districts. Sometimes these speculators have taken a very large protit, which has resulted from an improvement of tho value of land by State enterprise, such as railways, roads, drainage, and so on. “I am more assured than ever," said the Minister of Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, to a Post representative, “that the speculator is an absolute bar to successful settlement of land. His action has the effect, in most cases, of being a millstone around the settler’s neck, which represents the difference between success and failure..” As far as practicable, the Minister will exert himself to prevent this kind of “land-loading.” We think the latter term is very mild to designate the wealthy speculator. Dummyism, and absurd land valuation for taxation purposes is as bad as it can possibly be in this country, despite the war. Recently our Palmerston morning contemporary informed its readers that a famous block of land comprising 1,100 acres, in this district, changed hands. The land was eminently suited for closer settlement purposes, hut it was mopped up by wealthy owners. What chance has the small man to compete for land of this description against the wealthy land owner? “Settlement, and still more settlement,” is the vaunted slogan of Mr Massey. But speculation and still more speculation is what is happening. The new Minister for Lands is having his eyes opened, and we hope he will he able to force the hand of the Government in the near future to substantially increase the Land Tax. Any fool can see. that it pays to invest surplus thousands in .more land under the existing circumstances. Still, we must not press this matter upon the Government at a time when all its efforts are centred on winning the war!