Rangitikei Advocate. MORAY, MARCH 4, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8755, 4 March 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. MORAY, MARCH 4, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

{Signs are multiplying that Ministers are beginning to wish themselves safely rid of the Land Bill, The alleged statement by Mr. Carroll that was intended to drop the Bill was j

of course officially denied and the usual explanation given that he had been misrepdrted.' ■ But the amended edition of Mr Carrol’s remarks states that “ while there would be no departure from the cardinal principles of the bill, the Government would, ,pt course, endeavour, if possible, to perfect any weakness _ that _ might happen to present itself m the measure.” While Ministers are thus beginning to hedge, what m Europe would ba called the semi-official press is preparing the way for a graceful retreat. The New Zealand Times for example urges the Ministry not to be too proud to accept suggestions from the Opposition if they appear to be wise, and maintains that the graduated tax would be an efficient method of limiting estates. “ With this tax in operation concludes the writer in the Times, “ a land-owner could hold as much land as ho chose, and no honest mama whit the worse, Add to all this that the graduated land-tax would meet the views of the Opposition.

The statement that a graduated tax would meet the views of the Opposition cannot be described as more than a half truth. The man who declares that of two evils he considers that one is the lesser can hardly bo described as approving the evil winch he considers the less serious, ihe view of the Opposition, so far as we understand it, is that if the Ministry cannot leave well alone they would do less harm by increasing the graduated tax than by adventuring on - new and risky expedients, it is as bard to decide exactly whom the Land Bill will injure as it is to decide the point.where a boomerang thrown by an amateur will alight. The boomerang, like the Laud Till, is a very effective weapon, but both of thorn are very likely to behaveerratically and perhaps even prove destructive to the person who starts them on their course. The graduated tax on the other hand is fairly trustworthy in its action, and may be relied on to hit the largo landed proprietors at Whom it is aimed. Whether it is advisable to ciam more powder into the weajiori, Whion has only recently had S charge put into it, is a matter that fair subject for discussion. We pointed out recently that the graduated tax was largely increased in 1903, and that there had not yet been time to allow the latest turn oi the screw to produce the full effect. The fact that estates of the unimproved value of £50,000 and over have decreased in number seems to be evidence that the work of breaking vrn is going on altogether apart from the effect produced by Government purchases of lands for settlement. Still no reasonable man can object to a review of the position, and we think that Ministers will greatly strengthen their hold on tho country if they drop the Land Bill altogether and bring forward a proposal to increase the land tax. That moderate men would be in favour of any great increase at present wo do not believe, but as the Ministry must do something to save its face it is only to oe expected that some slightly severer taxation on large estates might pass through the House. Even this would Uo better than to join Mr McNab in his wild plunge into the unknown.