THE LAND TAX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2987, 5 September 1891, Page 3

THE LAND TAX.

AN argument tiequently ndwmced by .-idvocatos of tli« L ii'i T.-iv, p.nticiiliip-ly wlldl tIIOV iiro f>liilniv:)nriii(f to c:itiviiicf country settlers "f tin , leaiity and simplicity ctf thii nnvisun , , is Mint tlio weight of taxation under it wi ! fall ehiVfly np'.n th"S.who own land in the cities, the country jieople Rettini? i-ff C"Mip'irnf , v<'lv htrht. At the last lnntiii:!.'"f ■I^ , Hamilton Brunei' of thn Waik.iti. Kimiioi>' Ciiili a statcnion' was liiaHe In , ■• Wi.nn of the measure that 1)0 pur ("ii:, ■ f a hmi] t.ix levied on tlio uniinprnvpd valiin" wuld '••■ borne by nitv l.'iiid owners. C nsi'qutTi'iy if, an advanced thrnristw u> (,'■', thn hind tux should bn tlin only tax—i.e., th« Single Tax and snffici'inl , ivitiimu raispd liy it tn meet the annual i:liarir-s—it follows that cum try settlers and land mvnurs milsiiln cities would efcnpc liy payinp; only 10 per cont of thti total iiinoimt towards the revenue. Anullmr of thn Club, lieiiiff curious to know how much city properties would, nn till-* liasis have to pay n« the annual on their unimproved values, line ascertained that the total arens of cities comp,is r - 10.21.8 icros. CuiihCquently, if !)0 p r cut of the annual rovenuo required, which ho puts at £3,000,000, is paid by i iifiii. the cities will require to raise A' 1,700, 000. Tliis our enquiring friend has culcnliited to mean an annual charge "i |n n every acre of land within cities of J>2ij;i 2a l.jd. Thn nppellincr result given above is nn a|it illnstrttion of the value of stalinents niarle by landtaxerti wlmn followed out to their logical conclusion.