The Draft Land Lay, which is vegardedas one of the most Portant laws of the National Government and is now under eonsideran by the Legislative Yuan, the topic of President Hu Han'm address atthe weekly memorial service yesterday ut Central Party Headquarters. The fundamental principle upon which the" Draft Land Law is based, he said, was the Law as advocated by the Into Party Leader, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, in Principle of the People's Livelihood, President H's elucidation of important. new law follow The three essential elements of population and sovereignty.
State axe territory (that Is, land), To realize the Principle of the People's Livelihood, it is necessary 40 pay special attention to the pro-Diem of land, the general principles concerning which were long ago laid {down by the late Party Leader, and it is now for us carefully to consider the details marder to put them into effect, advocating the principle of equitable distribution of land, the late Party Leader held that the very. fact that a man was living on a tract of land, naturally entitled him to the use of the'land; while levying taxes on land, the so-called unearned increment must revert to the commanity.
ere are three main methods of isolation, "First, there is the Soviet system, hich docs not re-Drivate ownership of land, Such a. system i, however, not Justified. ""The right of ownership Includes' the right of making vse, appropriating. the products and the Voluntary disposal of the property. While the Soviet Inw concedes to Private persons the rights of use and. appropriation of the products of the land, the right of disposal is will held. This is certainly not an ex-Pedient method.
"The second' method is that imposition of heavy" land. taxes the Single Tax system, 'The late Party Leader, while concurring in the theory propounded by Henry George, the chief exponent of this system, did not, however, approve of the method. The third' method that advocated by the late Party Leader. According to. this method, land taxes are to be levied accord: ug to the prices assessed and declared by the land-owners them-aoives. Increases in land values due to general improvement "of social conditions must go. to the "com: munity, Following are sonic of the points incorporated, in the articles already adopted by the Legislative he tight of ownership of all the land of the country rests with the entire people though private owner of land is also recognized, in 0 far as it does not interfere vith the public weal. The right of using and enjoying the land by. private persons is, therefore, subject. to certain limitations. These pro-Visions are formulated in the Hight of the Party's principles and the existing customs of the country. The main difference between, out Law and that of Soviet Tussia is that we recognize all the rights of use, appropriation of the products fand disposal of land as included in the right of ownership, though the of the wight is subject to Tu anier to encourage private owners to improve their lands, heavier taxes ill be fimpoged upon' wasteland? (an built oF une cultivated), such taxes to be defereased proportionately us improve. ment of the land is gradually car-
"With regard to land registration, the registration feo will be Tow but the registration regulations will enforced. In. case the process of registra he responsible officials. shall "be liable for payment of compensation when losses are sustained. by the owners through such mistakes, farms by the farmers, the provisions "With respect to the Jeasing of
are drafted with die consideration the customs "and" traditional practice of the country. The basic "Principle is that he who cultivates Jand shall have title to the land, that anyone who wishes to cultivate may be enabled to do s0,"—Kuo Min,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.