THE LAND TAX.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 470, 10 May 1890, Page 5

THE LAND TAX.

Auckland, May 6. A large attendance at last night’s meeting of the Mangere Farmers’ Club testified to the great interest felt in the subject announced, viz., an exposition of the land tax given by repretentatives of the AntiPoverty Society. Mr A. Kelly, as a practical farmer himself, was the first speaker. His speech was mainly devoted to pointing out the beneficial effect the unimproved land value tax would have in destroying speculative land values, thus enabling settlers to acquire accessible land at a price which would yield them a fair return for their labour. The land taxers were quite aware that the farmers could , not bear any additional taxation, and they ) did not propose to impose any such ; they f simply wanted to change the incidence of [ taxation from the unjust and suicidal pro- f perty tax to a land tax. (; Mr Farnall, who followed, referred to the \ vast areas held by absentee landholders in the South as sheep runs, and showed forcibly how lightly the property-tax couched them. The Rev. E. H. Gulliver dwelt strongly on the fact that under the land tax the citieß would furnish a great proportion of the revenue, and not the farmers alone. Messrs Hould, Cowley and Platt also elucidated several points of the subject. A lively discussion then followed,in which Messrs M. Kirkbride and Paul took the chief part among the farmers. Though not converted wholesale to the land tax, yet an impression was evidently made on most of the farmers. As one of them said, “ We want another night of it,” and it is to be hoped that another opportunity will offer to further thrash out the subject. The proceedings concluded by a vote of thanks to the visitors. The utmost good feeling prevailed during the meeting, and the visiting members of tha Anti-Poverty Society express themselves in warm terms of the courtesy shown to them.