Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-23
SOCIALISTS"
| That IS what the New ZeatanderS Call Their Landed
NabObS.


vas. tracts Of pastures or who manage
the bonanza farms Of the great north
west;
How would you like to have your
lands at the mercy Of the government
20 be- compelled to sell them at 10 per
cent above the valuation you enter
them for taxes. and to pay such taxes
upon them that you will have 10 cultl-
yate every part Of them to make them
paying Investment?
How would you like 10 nave your
taxes increased IN proportion to the eN-
tent OF your property so that they WIZ
Je prOportlOnately double or treble
those Of the small holders about you,
and II you live outside the state IN
which the lands are situated so that
you win have TO pay ~ per cent more
than any OF the people who I've on their
lands?
That IS the way they are doing things
in New Zealand
Here are some questions for the smSll
property holders for farmers VINO own
lands worth less than $500;
How would you like TO pay no taxes
whatever upon one-third OF your prop
erty. or, II the property Is valued al less
than 81 800, no taxes whatever
How would you like to have all your
improvements deducted from the as
eessed valuation and the tax merely
laid on the land az II was when unlln-
proved? -.
How would you like TO pay only on
shat part OF the land which you really
own. the amount OF your mortgages pc
ing deducted from the tax valuatlon-to
nav. in fact, no tax upon anything out
side the unmproyed land you nave PAD
for and your income, and this Is case
the said income annually amounts TO
more than $500?
That is the way they do things III
New Zealand,
Here are some questions for those
who have no land at allY
How would you like TO see the Dig
esta tes Of this country taken possession
OF by the government and redistrlbuted
I'm small sections 60 you az cost on long
time at per cent interest?
How would YOU like To have advances
made TO you for building your house
and fencing your land and the terms OF
payment made so easy that you could
either nay for the whole or have 1t on
lease at this low interest for 500 years
the rent not being raised, no matter now
much improvements you put on the
land I'm the way Of cultivation, ferullza-
ton and buildings?
That il the way they are doing some
things In New Zealand.
SOCIAL PESTS.
The above are among the curious fea-
lures OF New zealand's land system
The New Zealanders do not believe IN
large land holdings, and they are doing
alI that they can TO have their country
divided up Into small farms. They eau
the large land holder social pest
and scruple not 20 tell him that they
will be glad TO have him leave the cOuii-
try. They tax him In every way possl-
bic TO get him 10 leave, and II ne Is an
absentee. living In Europe or elsewhere
they so pile on the taxes that ne mas
TO sell. ..,n..
Al present absentee property owners
are charged 20 per cent more taxes IMAM
those living In New Zealand, ana the
taxes rise in proportion to the amount
of land one man OWNS. :,
Everything Is done 20 encourage snlali
Farmers. The man whose income IL Tess
than 81 800 a year goes scott tree' pay
ing no taxes. He whose farm is worm
only 81 500 is exempt, and II his estate IL
vorth 81 500. ne pays taxes on ony
Ak 600 of its valuation The tax IL as
sessed on the unlmpr0Ved valuation.
The man who takes a poor farm ana
brings II up TO a high state OF cu'tlVa-
zion pays only on what the land was
worth when he FIRST plowed II, aud his
buildings and improvements are oh'S
taxed through the income when they
bring him when this Is over Sl,o0O per
nnnum, ......, 80,
The rich man pays Increased taxes on
his land. on his income, on everything
Take the land. His tax Is levied on its
unimproved valuation and TINS YAK II
Increased according to Its value II ms
farm Is worth more than Sl2,oOO, he gers
no exemption whatever. After 1t reach
90 the value Of SCI. 600 there Is no deduc-
ton of the mortgages upon II, ana lro'il
then on Il Increases ut the rate OF ~
eighth OF a penny In the pound untll II
reaches the maximum taxation OF TWO
pence per pound. which Is payable only
chen the value Is a million dollars OF
more He pays an increased tax on nv
income The man who has only Sl5o'
n wear paws no taxes whatever, but the
man who has up TO $1,000 above this
paws slxpence to the pound, or 2i4 pei
cent and a man whose taxable income
IS more than 81 600 pays per cent, TINS
does not seem great deal without you
figure It up.
Suppose that your income was that
~ n Congressman. YOU would pay ~
per cent on $1,000 less 1880, or %I in
come tax. II you were one Of the JUS
tices OF the supreme court and got $40
600 YOU would have 20 pay per cent
and the extra $1,000 making your taxes
S927 and n you were one Of our bis
trust magnates with an income OF 81
100000 a year. your taxes would closely
approximate $50 600. and n you lived II
New Zealand you would have 10 pai
them. II IL safe TO say that such mel
in the United States do not pay half as
much. In New Zealand they would
probably be ranked ms social pests.
BOSS seldom ON NEW ZEALAND's
LAND.
had n talk with Mr. Richard Seldom
The premier OF New Zealand, as TO The
policy OF the government as to us pub
lie lands. lie is I'm perfect accord with
the system OF cutting up the big estates
and says that all such experiments un.
dertaken by the government have
proved successful. Here are his Owl
words:
"The ideal condition would be one il
which the state owned all the land and
leased II out to the people on low rate
OF interest on certain conditions Sucf
system might be introduced into 3
new country. but here In New Zealand
we have property rights which have
grown M through the past half cen
fury, which prevent our adopting suci
radical M easures. We had here, up un
III 1876. sort Of federation Of states
Each state controlled It's own publ'
lands and its own railroads, As the var
ious governments wanted money thel
sold their land. and that In large tract
at prices which were ridlculously low
Much OF them were bought by absentee
capitalists an ten shinings or there
abouts per acre. | know one man VIII
paid ten shillings C25O) per acre 10
10000 acres. That land is now wortl
$50 an acre. other men bought tract
OF 10000 acres, 30 600 acres and some o
10000 acres. This land they held. lyini
back In waiting for Il 10 increase IL
value. In some cases they used II 10