CONSCRIPTING WEALTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1917, Page 7

CONSCRIPTING WEALTH.

To tho Editor. Sir,—Pray allow a Liberal' and a reader of your paper for years tff edirimerit, very briefly, on our leading article on Friday under the above heading. The question of regulating the distribution of financial burdens in a community is a difficult one; but .that is the great reason why in seeking a solution we should aim, at the outset, to get on the i ight, foundation. Now _ the foundation of all wealth is labor, if it be only the labor of picking up Hie gold nuggets that may lie in the traveller's path, or the vipe fvliit from trees that no man planted. Still labor is needed ere anyone gets any benefit. Then, too, all our wealth comes from the earth, either ■'iove or below, so it is plain that these ■> must be brought together. What-

■r hinders that oombitfation hinders . the production of wealth. If only political economists kept these two points in view their work would be simplified. Labor is entitled to the full results of its exertions, and the land belongs to the community. Hence all these scientific (as they call it) tariffs for revenue or protective purposes are ori the wrong road. straight wo-ulc! be to tax the "land and let the laborer go free, and the latter pays wry heavily how, even though lie pays h 6 land tax. This is illustrated in the cable news from Washington, that the Seriate committee proposes heavy taxes on necessary articles arid" no tax on luxuries (see Daily News, Friday). We have gone on the wrong way so long that we canh'ct change all at once, but wise, patriotic statesmen, sometimes misunderstood, should keep this end in view—tax land and let lAbor go ire*.—l am, etc., HEADER.