MR. LAWRY AT ELLERSLIE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 472, 17 May 1890, Page 3

MR. LAWRY AT ELLERSLIE.

ADVOCACY OF A LAND TAX. Auckland, May 8. Mit F. Lawry, member for Franklin North, addressed his constituents in the schoolroom, Ellerslie, last evening. The attendance was numerous, especially so considering the inclemency of the weather, and Mr Lawry was listened to with marked attention throughout. Mr W. C. Walker, J.P., occupied the chair, and in introducing the speaker, referred to the untoward accident which prevented Colonel Dawson from presiding over the meeting. Mr Lawry, who was received with applause, said he would endeavour to keep the personal pronoun “I” out of his remarks as much as possible. It had been a matter < of surprise to him to be told that he had violated his pledges. There was no truth in these statements, and he could disprove them. He had pledged himself to support a drastic retrenchment, and had said that any party proposing this and working on this basis would have his support. The promises he had made had been made to the whole of the electors, and those promises had been faithfully carried out. The result of the last elections had been disastrous to the colony, inasmuch as that many valuable men had no been returned. Mr Lawry then proceeded to explain the difficulties encountered by those desirous of obtaining land. Many persons had tired of these obstructions and had gone away and denounced New Zealand in the public press. Others, again, had been able to procure land, and had brought influence to bear so that railways were formed to it or through it. A man could now take up land on a perpetual lease. This was very advantageous, and he fully believed that they would see a hundred successes under this system when there had been a hundred failures under the old. (Applause.) Referring to what had been done in the matter of retrenchment, Mr Lawry said that during the first year the Government had cut down £230,000, and he thought credit was deserved for this. The property tax was eating like a canker-worm into the industries of the country. If one man took up land and by his industry made it what it should be, he would be taxed at, say, £l2 per acre ; whereas another indolent man would pay, say, £4 or £5. This was a monstrous injustice, and went to show that the tax was upon the man’s industry. (Applause.) Even in the Waikato, as they well knew, the men who had done all the work and made all the improvements had been compelled to pay for their energy and thrift, while the speculator got off with paying for the value of his unimproved land. It was a credit to New Zealand that it had progressed so favourably in the face of such a burden. (Applause.) A man’s industry should never be taxed at all unless it were a profitable industry, and he considered that the occupiers of land would be infinitely better under a land tax on unimproved values. As the basis of taxation would be on the prairie value, and the increase of taxation would be on that value, hence if it were necessary in the exigencies of the State to increase the land tax from a penny to say twopence in the pound, the industrious man would have to pay no more than was paid on the land of his thriftless neighbour or on the adjacent unimproved land held by an absentee. (Applause.) It was fallacy to say that the mortgagee paid the property tax, because the borrower of money in effect had to pay everything. Hence if we had no property tax, the money could be lent at 8s 4d per cent, less, and to that extent every pound a settler borrowed was handicapped. Tho same principle would apply in every particular to a land tax on unimproved values. The adoption of this principle would make land bear its fair share of the burdens of taxation, and at the same time give an impetus to the cultivation of the soil. (Applause.) The question of the necessity of great extension of administrative power to local bodies was dealt with at considerable length, and the opinions expressed were well received, as were also those respecting the desirability of upholding the principles of the Cemeteries Act. Respecting education, Mr Lawry said he had not changed his opinions. They must have education in order to keep pace with the march of other nations. He considered, however, that the education of the country could be accomplished for less money than is expended on it without impairing the system. He looked upon secondary education as being to all intents and purposes class education, and therefore very objectionable indeed. Mr Lawry concluded a lengthy address by stating that the programme for the future must consist of : (1) Still further retrenchment; (2) no more borrowing ; and (3) abolition of the property tax. The future prosperity of the country depended, he said, not only on its timber, minerals, or gum, but also on there being a contented population settled throughout it 3 entire length and breadth. (Applause.) Mr Bollard asked Mr Lawry if he was in favour of eight hours being considered a legal day’s work. Mr Lawry replied that he had voted against the Bill. It was recognised at the present time —the law recognised it ; yet it could only apply to certain sections of the community. Farm hands, for instance, must be excepted, and the Bill introduced last session was impracticable. Mr Scott then moved the following resolution : “ That this meeting thank Mr Lawry for his address, and expresses full confidence in him as their representative; and, further, expresses the hope that he will offer himself for re-election after the dissolution of the present Parliament.” This was seconded by Mr Arthur Cleave, and carried unanimously, and Mr Lawry reDlied, after which the proceedings terminatedwith the customary vote of thanks to the chair.