OBJECTS OF THE SINGLE TAX.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3006, 20 October 1891, Page 3

OBJECTS OF THE SINGLE TAX.

TO TIIK KDITOB. Sin,—lt is frequently stated by :< j-crtimi of tho press, and also by in-inv nf the people, that the advocates of the ~r land tax are desirous nf the working cl .-shs of all taxation and oa-tinif no iriy the whole burden upon tho small farmers. Now, Sir, with ymir kind pei mission [ will endeavoiii to show that such is nut I In- case. First of all I will begin by stating th ,t which is an axiom, viz., that popol iti.m alone gives value to land. The advrcatos of a land tax, let it bo distinctly nndentwid, only want to place a tax on the unimproved <>r t.lin value that it is worth in its natural state and occlusive of nil improvements. They claim that the small fanners especially would be infinitely butter off under this mode of taxation than the one at present prevailing. I will endeavour to bo explic'l. for assertions rive not arguments although I tintl that a poi - tion of thii press which condemns the single tax does nothing more than assert, uud by its persistency in making assertions manv people have come to heliovo that to be true which is not true, viz., that a land tax pure and simple would fall with crushing etfef." upon our small and industrials settlers. I am glad to say that it is admitted by tinopponents of the single r-ixurs that many of them are earnest and unselfish men. Now, HUCI) being the casp, would they not be arrant fools to try and crush the very bone and sinew of this or any other land, for the farmers are the first, cause of all our wealth. They arc the foundation upon which every other stric'ure is reared, and to destroy that foundation would simply he destroying the wholi social fabric. This colony could not pay the enormous sums annually for interest if it were not for the hard-working and indvstriniiH farmers ; for instance, note that mil' exports exceed our imports by about AM,000,000. This is about the amount that is »>nt out of the colony annually to pay interest on our public and private indebtedness. Not only do the actual wealthproduces—and thev are not more than a tenth nf tho population—pay the whole of the interest on our public and private) indebtedness, but of necessity must they also pay the rents ot town, city and suburban lands. Tho total value of unimproved land in this colony is some £-10,000,000, ninety per cent, of which is in cities, towns and suburbs, making a total of some £.">,G00,000 in taxation and interest and rents to bo paid annually by the wealth-producers. This gives an average sum of £93 par annum paid by each unit of the wealth producers. Well may they be poor if my statement is correct. Now let us see how a settlor would faro under tho single tax, as compared with the present system. Wo will take a man owning 100 acrps of good land. In this part its full value is not more than 20s an acre in its natural statu ; therefore, he would only pay under a land tax of o per cent., £0 per year. Now let us look on the other side and see how much he is paying under the present svstem. His 100 acres aio worth £000; stock, implements, furniture, and personal effects, £■100— making £1000; exemption £.~>oo ; property tax on £000 at one penny in the f gives £2 Is vSd ; family of soven members pays thrjugh the Customs, £21 ; merchants' and retailors' interest on £21, say at ;i0 tier cent., gives £G Gs, making a total of £20 7a 8d; saving under the single tax, £21 7s Sd, for under the single tax every other form of taxation would be abolished. Mr Editor, I should like you to point out where my figures are wrong ; my only desire is to get at the truth, The aim of the single laxers is to make our settlers prosperous, and also to mako it possible for the people to make ft comfortable living out of tilling the soil— the most useful and most necessary occupathe world. People will not go on to the land under our present economic sys. tern if they can nuke a living at any other occupation. Tradespeople m. ke a better and easier living than the farmers. Why should this be the case'; They do not require more brains ; I question if they require as much for successfully carrying on their occupation. The farmers' occupation is at all times an anxious one. It requires preat skill, caie, and attention to grow goo,) crops, and then when they ..re grown the difficulty is to sell the product; at remunerative prices. All this would Lie changed if wo were only 'vise enough to alter our present unjust and cruel system. I am bold enough to assert that I think tho present Government have made a move to bring these desirable changes about.—l am, etc-i JUHN PaKB.