The Louisiana populist., 1897-10-01

sists of three members one chos-
en- by the workingnlen, one chosen
by the employer and the third
again a Judge Of the supreme court.
The decision of the board Of arbi-
tration is final. 1t must be obey
ed. Heavy penalties are provided
for violation, and the penalties are
enforced, too. The defeated party
in an appeal must pay the costs:
The boards are to all intents and
purposes courts of law. They
have power to summon witnesses
and to punish for contempt. The
moral effect Of these boards has
been most wholesome. Disputes
between employers and employees
have been reduced to minimum.
The weaker party will yield rather
than risk the payment of costs un-
less he has u good cause. But the
! workingmen in particular are de-
lighted with the system.
New Zealand is now very pros
porous compared to what it was a
few years ago. This prosperity is
attributed to the land tax and land
policy of the government. This is
| not a single tax, but approaches it
in principle. The land tax is not
Il tax on land, but a tax on land
values. 1t ranges from penny
to the pound to threen-pcnce to the
pound, with an extra penny added
for absentees. The effect of this
has been to reduce ALLEN owner
ship. European landlords soon
get tired Of paying the heavy tax.
They very soon become more than
willing to sell ont in small parcels
and at low figures. This has pre-
cisely the effect intended-it gives
actual settlers an opportunity to
obtain homes at reasonable figures.
Large estates are rapidly breaking
up. In a few Years they will cease
to exist. | should say in this con-
nection that actual settlers arc per-
mitted to have land to the value of
s2, 500 exempt from taxation. Be-
sides this we have the graduated
income tax. ALI incomes under ST.
800 are exempt; s; from $500 to
5000 the tax is q per cent; all
over $1,000 pays 5 per cent. tax.
All corporations and absentees pay
the full 5 per cent. without exemp-
ton. These two taxes take the
place of the old property tax,
which has been abolished.
1.-The government obtains large
tracts of land which it leases to
actual settlers for 800 years. If
the settler is deserving, and he
cannot lease the land if he is not,
the government will lend him the
material to the value Of 800 to
build a house ; then it will allow
him certain sum per acre for
clearing the land it will also pro.
vide him not more than three days
of eight hours each per week with
work on roads or other public i'm
provements, SO that he may sup
port himself and family until' he
can raise crops. The government
is reimbursed for all this by the
increase in land values due to in
creased population, on which il
: collects u tax, as | have already
| said.
''Thc government borrows mon
, ey in Europe in large sums which
it lends to the farmers. The gov
ernment pays 3 per cent. interes
! and charges the farmer 5 per cent
t As matter of fact, the farnne
pays 6 per cent. per annum, pc
cent. of which goes into Il sinkin!
fund to cancel the principal. AT
ter paying 6 per cent. per'year fol
e 73 years, the debt is extinguished
This plan has been an entire sue
. cess as far as it has heen tried. In
terest rates were formerly YER,
high.
r "The government owns the tele
S graph, the telephones and the rail
: roads in New Zealand. One inter
e esting feature Of the governmen
p ownership Of railways is that il
9 the country districts where the Sc,
x tiers are some distance from school
$ the railways carry the children t.
!. and from school free Of charge. l
: is interesting to note that the raj
& roads are beginning to pay we
e since they came under governmen
control, although they were un
It profitable under private ownership
it The government also manages th
u parcels delivery, or express bus
n no,, oc r. 10 oollod IN p,or;co