Georgist Activism Continues
in New Zealand Despite the War

Charles Joseph Smith

[Reprinted from Land and Freedom, May-June 1940]

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.