LAND VALUES.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 August 1919, Page 6

LAND VALUES.

Several warnings against ‘the pmsent day tendency to inflate land \'{llU(‘S have I‘C(’.‘n’[ly been issued from wellinformed quarters. Mr Harold Beau. champ, at the annual meeting of the Bank of New Zealand in June, spoke of the probability of 4a decline in the prices of ‘wool. meat, butter, and cheese about the middle of next. year, and a. few days ago Mr H. Buckleton. the new general manager of the bank, touched on the danger of New Zealand farmers llaVin,q to produce under severe competition from land purchased at inflated ' The Crown: 'LantdS Commissioner for North Auckland -and Canterbury have, Within the past month, protested against the high prices sometimves asked for land for the set’r"ement of soldiers. To these cautions: there is now’ added :1 similar

note in Weddel’s Review, suggesting lthe possibility ‘(of ta lflrrop of ifl'onl 25 to 50 per cent in present prices of frozen meat. . The persons quoted above have no special power of seeing into the future, but they are all men whose advice on such :1. subject is worth serious thought, and they all speak with responsibility and with appl'CCiz‘Ltion of the ‘meaning of their words. Nor is it likely that the View will be seriously clmllengecl anywhere. There is still a world shortage of food resulting _ flrom war eon,3ditions, but Itlie high prices ruling will stimulate production and discourage consumption. All the indications «are for a. levelling down as Conditions everywhere return to nor]l‘_:ll. This is :1, point. of '\'i(';'.* v,'r.‘.ich fie‘/ery land buyer should con-51dc~'1', .’—‘n(l :7 which every Land Board Sl1)'1ld weigh {in its dealings witli, and on belmlf of. l returned soldiers. In New .r33:1A:.i..l ‘there are unfortunately more prospective t'arrners than there are :rV:lil.Lb‘e farms. Successive Govel'u:n«:=l‘-':s lll\'(.' [dnllied with railu'zl_y colls’rl':lr‘t‘.-J‘: ‘.‘.":'[ll l the deplorable result that vast areas; -'1" land are lying waste whiie the x.lt‘.’;l*,i‘;di for land is unszrtisfied. This is dun-R doubtedly an element in I’or:in,; up’ values. The scarcity tempts tLle l;‘.ml~l Iless to risk 3, high price. It is :1 temp-} tation which should be removed. at the e:zi'li(-st possible date by :1‘ vigorous railway building and land s<_~.ttlenlent poli<:_y initiated at once and inuintainedl ;11.v1oe:1sii:gly until the land l1uu~;:c-r i.-4. lHi'ull._\f szltisfir‘<l.—l\T.Z. (Herald, l