The Unearned Increment in Victoria.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 45, 1 July 1890, Page 3

The Unearned Increment in Victoria.

(Poet’s Correspondent.) MELBOURNE, June 18.

In introducing the Railway Construction Bill to the Victorian Parliament yesterday, Mr frillies said that in the existing Railway Construction Act provision was made by which Parliament could take at a reduction land which had been enhanced in value by the construction ot a railway. In one case the reduction was made, but on an appeal being made to the Privy Council the Judges were of opinion that the clause giving power to make the reduction was not sufficiently clear. In order, therefore, to put the question beyond doubt, he had made provision in the Bill by which an owner of land whose land is increased in value by the construction of a railway is entitled to pay . something to the Government in consideration. The Age points out that Mr Gillies is adopting the principle of “a betterment tax,” which has been in operation in America for a long time. * The principle has attracted considerable attention in England during the last few years, and has formed the subject of an interesting controversy in the Columns of the head English journals. This tax is the special assessment of the expense, or a part of the expense, of special improvement on the adjoining property \yhich is specially benefited by the improvement, and the underlying maxim of the law is that he who feels the benefit ought also to feel the burden. Mr Gillies, in effect, proposed to ask Parliament to enact that where railway lines pass through large holdings the owners shall contribute a portion of the enhanced value of the land resulting from the construction of the railways.

A prolific ewe, owned by Mr Blakeman, of Market Drayton, recently gave birth to the unprecedented number of seven lambs; four were born alive, the other three being dead when lambed, and the ewe, which is a very fine and large Shropshire, is attending to the cares of maternity on behalf of three herself, while the fourth is given over to the charge of a foster mother. This ewe was the tenth up to that date of the flock which had lambed, three of the others having brought triplets, and the remainder doubles ; the ten ewes having produced 25 live lambs besides the three bom dead out of the seven at birth.