"REAPING WHERE THEY HAVE HOT SOWN."

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 192, 18 July 1916, Page 4

"REAPING WHERE THEY HAVE HOT SOWN."

(Contributed.)

When our forefathers, with stout hearts, made a break, ventured out ( into the unknown and entered into this land to possess it, land values were reckoned in pipis or seaweed if they existed at all. ]3y dint of enduring hardships inconceivable now, setbacks and discouragements galore they fashioned the landscape in good faith, to the extent of their knowledge at the time. Their inherent loyalty to the Motherland led them into perpetuating evils and abuses unconsciously and each newcomer added his little mite by word, deed and thought and we begau growing " More like London every day' Every little boom was welcomed as the real article, the genuine tide of prosperity, but bubbles grew and burst, hearts wero broken, savings lost, pioneers discouraged, sections deserted and left to the tender mercies of gorse, blackberry, with its allies the pheasant, sweet-briar, rabbits and every other souvenir of loyal memories of the Motherland. And that state of the land was worse than the first; in other words the value of that laud " below its unimproved value " . Thanks to the unswerving loyalty of a few men to the land of their adoption, who peisevered in their experiments, the frozen meat trade opened the door to National prosperity. New Zealand became better known and immigrants Hocked to our shores, these with half-a-crown ia one pocket and a vote in the other proceeded to cultivate the art of getting rich." Those that had not the knowledge or desire to farm the land and remove the gorse etc., knew enough to farm the former and proceeded to do so. With one voice these proclaimed, "We are ihe people ' Do we not huddle together and live in towns as we did in England ? But the footpaths are a disgrace, we must -have gas and water laid on, amusements to make life in your country endurable." And it was so. The pioneer looked ou amazed and said "Is it not wonderful," but grasped it not and so it grew Then the men of half-crowns and votes wondered how all this was to be paid for. " Eureka ! pass it on to Hayseed he will, never notice." And it was so.

The pioneer knowing that lie was relatively affluent to what he had been a few years before sighed, and said to himself " Is it not wonderful," but grasped it not, and so it grew. Footpath?,, gas, water, amusement?, conveniences he furnished, but did not participate in. He was in the backwash.

With eight natural harbours they proceeded to lower money into the sea to make half-a-dozen more. Fourteen harbours to serve an area comfortably worked by one in most countries.

"Who is to pay '" " Why! Hayseed again, take it out of his goods as they pass through, but don't let him have a say in it." And it was so.

But the time catue wlien " dues " would not suffice and they said, " Ihisisa national work, we must have a subsidy from the Government." And was so, "Then who' is to furnish the subsidy "Why! Hayseed of

course, tax him, there is his land and its capital value." And it was so. But world markets controlled capital values and there was a limit, another way must be found. The man with the half-crowns and the votes thought again and looking round with self-satisfaction on everything said, " All our work ! All our work ! Hang it!! Hayseed's increased values are due to our efforts. Let us tax him on all but bis improvements, under the guise of getting at the absentee who does nothing." And it was so. Again Hayseed failed to grasp it and rejoiced in his innocence. " Only to tax me on my improved value! ! Is it not wonderful." And bo it giew. But owing to a half cooked act. an indefinite standard for the valxe of improvements and incompetent valuers, the unimproved value rose steadily as the relative value of improvements descended. * (Jan an " unimproved value " go back't Scarcely. Then how does the range-finder read, when the line of ascending unimproved values intersects the line of stationary or descending capital value and diverging on the other side leaves the so-called " unimproved" greater than the " capital " value once more. Can one man in New Zealand stand up and give us a rational explanation of the working of Unimproved Valualion which will tally with actual experience 'i I know of one case where, after the man having lived on the section for fifty years and having built a new house twelve years ago to say nothing of stumping, fencing, ploughing and grassing, the improvements are now valued'at £-100, half the cost of the house.

Ye Cats and Dogs! ! Think of it!! And the man who valued it has a hide thick enough to accept public money for such work wi'liout blushing However, the fact remains the half-a-crown and a vote man lias had life made easy for him by all these conveniences, the cost of which he adroitly passed on to the farmer. And it is so.

Let the farmer get his second sight, rectify the matter and it will read : And it " Was" so (once).