Georgist Activism Continues in New Zealand Despite the War |
[Reprinted from Land and Freedom, May-June 1940 ]
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It is encouraging to receive the news that the Commonweal, voice of the Natural Justice Movement of New
Zealand, is able to continue publication, in spite of the
war. "Shortly after the outbreak of the war," says the
March-April number of this paper, "it seemed hardly
likely that Commonweal could be kept going, owing to
the marked drop in receipts. Many other journals have
already gone out of existence, and some, such as the
Free Trader (London), have suspended publication for
the period of the war. However, a few enthusiasts are
very desirous of keeping the journal going. The amounts
received in donations, plus ordinary subscriptions, have
been sufficient to warrant the production of this number.
The Finance Committee trusts that supporters of the
Natural Justice Cause will continue to provide the funds
required to keep the journal in being, despite the war."
Two other Georgeist papers that have been suspended
because of the war are Terre et Liberte, in France, and
Graham Peace's Commonweal, in England. LAND AND
FREEDOM sincerely hopes that the New Zealand Commonweal will receive sufficient financial support to insure its
continuation.
The Natural Justice leaders have worked out a common-sense program for the application of the Georgeist
reform. Following is a statement of the policy:
"Local bodies not the State to estimate and also to
collect, the full annual economic value of the social environment, commonly called 'economic rent of land,' part
to be passed on to the State for State expenditure, the
objective being the abolition of all rates and taxes. In
rural areas, towns and counties to be amalgamated, the
full 'land rent' to be collected by the enlarged local body
over the combined areas, thus returning to the farmers,
through expenditure of part of the 'ground rent' or 'site
value' of urban areas upon rural roads, some of the social
values the farming community helps substantially and
basically to produce."
The Commonweal stands also for complete free trade
and democratic electoral methods. For those who may
be interested in this journal, the address is Hohaia Street,
Matamata, New Zealand.
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