Tm, ie oon reported that Nanking Government contemplates taking against owners of undeveloped land along Nanking's principal thoroughfares, and more especially the Chang Shan Road, wilt be watched with no little interest as an extremely novel proceeding. Owners are to be given six months within which to construct buildings over their property, failing which will be taken over by the Municipal Government ata price to Axed by the authorities. The stib appears to be a drastic one, but to be called for by reason of the action of the owners, who having fixed exorbitant prices for their land, are said to be preventing persons, willy: to build, from acquiring the land on which fo do so. Whether the procedure suggested is entirely the best tone, is entirely another question. ft would seem, judging from occidentes standpoints thet the better procedure would be to institute an undeveloped land tax, which, having a direct bearing upon the real or fancied value of the property would not only tend bring about m modification of ideas the minds of the owners, but Would also accelerate the building which the municipal authorities #0 treatly desire. At all. times GiMcult to induce building in places where the ordinary business of city does not run, and in this Instance there isan attempt made to force a development ina district which normally might be slow in undertaking such a change, "Revolu-Uonary though the scheme of the municipality does appear to be, it has the merit of directing where development shall take place, and #0 long as the landowners receive com= ensation commensurate with a tale valuation of their property it Ie not at all unlikely that this is the most equitable method of obtaining the speedy change which is desired.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.