THE LAND QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 102, 16 September 1912, Page 4

THE LAND QUESTION.

We agree with Mr. Wilkinson's Views upon the land question, which is easily the most important one before the country. Just what the present Government intends to dp no one knows exactly, but the option of the freehold will, no doubt, be. oil V.red to holders of, State leases other than endowment leases, which the Government is very properly not going to disturb. The making of this concession, wtf believe,, will be in the best interests of the country, a'nd' it has always had our support. ' But the laud question will not be settled by granting the freehold. What is -wanted is some simple method by which the big estates may be broken up and rendered available to the people who are hungering for land. .Purchasing these estates and cutting them .up is but half an expedient, and it has proved a somewhat costly ■ one. Neither Mr, Seddon nor Sir Joseph Ward dealt with this subjeqt as the interests of the people demanded they should have. Neither one nor Die other imposed n sufficient and eompejling land tax.' It has been left to the pre" sent Government to reduce the graduated tax. but the graduation does' not fall low enough, and will utterly miss its purpose. A £30,000 unimproved value means practically exempting a £50,01)0 .property. The time has come in this country when properties, the unimproved value of which is from £30,000 to £-10.000, should be so taxed as to compel the owners to sub-divide. Then there would be ho need for the State to borrow huge sums of money for the purpose of laud resumption Hitherto'the. buying'of estates hits simply made rich men of landlords 'at (he public expense. Instead of making land cheaper and more accessible, its price has been enhanced all over the country to a fictitious extent, and has made it more difficult than ever for a poor man to get a slice of th" public estate. The Liberal Government set out with, good intentions, but the result has not been at all satisfactory. The big fact remains that the cry' for land is more insistent now than'ever, while the price is mounting up rapidly. Wo want more people in the country and

the land is lying awaiting working, but the speculators and big' holders willquite naturally it must bo confessed—not relax their grip until they are iorced to do so.