The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1909. THE CASE OF PETER WRIGHT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2481, 21 April 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1909. THE CASE OF PETER WRIGHT.

An illuminating instanco of the manner in which the Government has been, and still is, promoting the undue inflation of land values is provided in the case of Mr -Peter Wright of the Motu. Eight years ago Mr Wright, purchased the interest of another settler in 2000 acres in the district mentioned and followed up the initial transaction by buying the freehold from the Crown under the optional clause. Since his ownership of the property he has constantly, been developing it, but everyone knows what a slow and frequently a heartbreaking task this is for those who are doing pioneer work in the Poverty Bay backblocks. However, he took his share of what was going in the way of discomforts and privations, rarely grumbling, and paying his taxes to'the local bodies and to the Government without a murmur. Now, however, the beneficent Liberal Government, which in theory only exists to help backblock settlers, but which, in fact, is always ready to pounce down upon any individual who has the tenerity to own a few acres of land, has taken a step too far and Peter Wright has been exasperated to the point of rebellion. His little property has been valued for purposes of taxation at so high a rate that ho declares it is impossible for him to pay his taxes. Three years ago it was valued by the Government at- £3,390. Wright paid taxes on this and was content, but when the postman brought a notice to him last month lie was staggered on opening it to discover that his valuation had been raised iS £10,510. If the productive capacity had advanced in the meantime there would be no cause for complaint, for, by reason of increased revenue the farmer would be able to pay the additional rates without trouble, but nothing of the kind has happened. Except that some additional land has been cleared and made available for feeding stock its earning power lias not been increased. Indeed, as a sot off against any increased acreage for sheep grazing must bo mentioned the very great reduction in the lirice of wool and mutton. Three years ago Peter Wright could look confidently for ninepenee or tenpence per lb. for his bales of wool; to-day ho counts himself lucky if he can got sixpence. Three years ago lie lia<l a fairly ready sale for both wethers- and ewes; to-day they arc a drug in the market, which will take nothing but lat lambs, and these he cannot got to a market because the Government has failed to supply him with the means of transport. It still costs him £8 to £9 per ton in the winter months to get liis household provisions, his horse feed, and his fencing wire up to the Motu and a large proportion of the small returns for his produce is still eaten up by the enormous cost of transport; yet lie is asked to pay three times the amount of taxes that were exacted from him three years a£o. The manner in which this increased valuation is made up is a striking commentary upon Governmental methods. Three years ago the unimproved value was set down as £2000; now it is fixed at £4,990. This, wo shall be told by the glib-tongued Socialist of the towns, is a proper method of making Peter Wright pay for his share’ of the cost of railways. But not one penny of the millions spent by the Government on railways lias ever found its way into the Motu, and lie still has to depend on the packhorse, still has to remain, isolated from doctors, nurses, schools and his follow men. Up in the Motu the. settlers have become heartsick and weary in their patient wait for the advent of the iron rails, and the welcome sound of a locomotive whistle waking the echoes in the silent bush, and now it seems doubtful if they will ever have their wishes fulfi.knt. A sinister rumor has been growing abroad and has been gaining in strength that the Gisborne railway is to be diverted front Motu township in tho special interests of a few wealthy individuals whose properties lie in another direction. However, this by the way. The Government valuer has not only bumped up the “unimproved value.” of Wright’s property to more than double what it was formerly but he has actually put on ail -amount of £3,600 as the value of timber standing on tho property.. Considering that tlicro is no means of getting this timber to any market—the Government having prcTuird ue.tl.v* i r : . ■' ■ " -• . ; . A - A’m- ."AL . v ' ■ ■

way nor suitable roads —and it is, therefore, for the present valueless, this seems very rough on Peter Wright. Unless ho is willing to hold the area on which this timber stands idle until that day in the diin and distant future, when tho Motu will be connected with Gisborne by rail, the timber will never be of any value. As a matter of fact, if he is to keep things going and pay the Government taxes he cannot afford to hang on to any portion of his allotment even though it were a prospective gold-mine; ho must, to keep the wolf from tho door, burn tho timber to find more grazing for sheep. There is still one other item of the vakition. That is what is designated as owner’s improvements. If Wright’s property were on lease and the Government had the right to refuse a renewal this would represent the allowance that would be made to the tenant for the work he had put in and the difference in the method of calculation as compared with tho other figures is most striking. Wright lias been engaged in fencing and building, and in other ways has put a vast amount of both material and labor into his property during the past three years, but under this heading the valuation has only been raised from £L ; '<9o to £1,920. There is no .need to pursue the subject further. Peter Wright -s now a man with a grievance. Ho has put his property on tho market at £SOO under the Government valuation, tut without finding a buyer. He deelvcs. moreover, that lie will compel the Government to either reduce his taxes or take his land, in which case he will fly the country and never come near Now Zealand again. On the latter point he would probably change, ms mind later on, but when an honest, hard-working settler of the best tipe is driven after 50 years of good work in the country to such a la men tit me conclusion it is evident that there is something in our political admim Nation which is urgently in need of amendment. But while Peter Wright, settler, loaded down with an unfair valuation, is a sadly disappoiiP ul man, Sir Joseph Ward, politician, is a cheery optimist, who runs aip and dc m the country tickling the cal’s o r tho people with wonderful tales of the Dear monk, progress. And if any sceptic wants proof he promptly quotes the figures showing "the tremendous inerse which has taken place in the va’uu of the country’s lands.