RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2527, 14 June 1909, Page 6

RATING ON UNIMPROVED VALUES.

DISCUSSED BY THE TRADES AND ' LABOR COUNCIL.

The East Coast Trades and Labor Council held an open _ meeting on Saturday night, t) which the public were invited, to discuss the incuts ot the question of rating upon unimpi overt valuos against the alternative systems of rating upon rental and capital values. Mr. W. Duncan occupied the chair, and there was only a sn*all attendance of unionists and the public. Mr J H. Hall opened the discussion, and asked those present to bear in mind that land was not the product of man’s labor, but was the gut of Nature. Under tho present system of rating the community contributed to the pockets of the landholders a lie thought land lying idle should not profit by unearned increment at the expense of land that was P l |°}’ r and at the expense of the taxpayer. To allow unimproved land to pay lower rates than improved land was a labor The present system of latm m Gisborne was favorable to and landlords were quick to take act vantage of it. Under the system of rating on capital values, there. was no eSagoment for a man to improve his dwelling, because his rates Jf® creased proportionately to the im prpvements. The few who owned lm •rot the unearned increment at the cost « landless. In young eountnes land was usually cheap, and labor an 1 capital more evenly shared the P duce; but as the coun ry g capital, by the ownership of theland, <rot the lion’s share. By ° capital values shops and factories we taxed and thereby the necessities of life were taxed and proportionated in creased °in price. The law of supply and demand regulated the valu ® all things except mnd, because lane was capable of being held by speculators and could not be increased in quantity to meet the increased demand. Where a municipality drew its revenue from improvments industry was d co imaged By rating upon unimproved vaS vacant sections would come into the market, land would become cheaper, houses more plentiful and late . would be lowered. . •-i ~x Air AI G Nasmith, 3unr., caid that from a worker’s point of view the biggest burden was house rent lie rapid growth of the number of buildit?£ in Christchurch was due to rat- ; ing upon unimproved values, the ’ system of rating upon capitaloi rental values encouragement was gj' en to land speculation, because immediately a building was erected, the rates were increased and industry was W. The cry that rating upon unimproved values would take the bu den from the rich man and transfer it to the worker was not true, because, instead of the buildings being rated, the land would pay rates according lt! Tho subject was then informally discussed by various speakers, a numbei of questions being asked which were answered by the chairman and Air. the Chairman asking Mr J. R. Kirk to speak upon the question, that gentleman said he had not come to take part in the discussion, but to hear the various views expressed. At the conclusion of the debate, votes cf thanks were passed to the various speakers and to the Chan man.