The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-08-01
{ To BE- cOatinued.)
From the Londcn Zee Hive
TIE A b C OF SOCIAL SCIENCE.
RENT.

ET20le0 Oy tuo SONCthn0hte ttCClV W bCt~
Tiers, or for n very small sum per acre, the
great object being to get the land Cultivated
and occ1pied by an industrious population.
In those cases the portions Of land first ap-
propriated will he generally those Of the
greatest fertility the best situated for the
disposal Of their produce; or that possess
some other great natural advantage.
But as new settlers arrive, AID population
increases, many persons will prefer Offering
rent for cleared and fertile estates-accord
ing to their product;veness or convenience
rather than have recourse to uncleared
portions, or invest their capital and labC:- in
lands of an inferior degree Of fertility.
As population, however, increases. and a
create demand is made for the productions
Of the land tnan those OF the greatest fertill-
ty can supply, people will be necessitated to
have recourse to lands Of an inferior degree
Of fertility, and eventually to lands Of still
worse quality. But as the amount Of DO
ductions obtained from those lands Of an in
feriOr quality will come in competition in the
market with the produce raised from the
best soils, the productions obtained from the
METEOROLOGICAL the cost Of labor and capt.
tai. applied to all-will determine the amount
Of rent that will be given Tor all lands.
The amount Of REM, therefore. 10 he oh
tained from any portion Of land, is said 'stn
depend on the excess Of the produce of tl,at
land, beyond what could be Obtained from
the worst lands in cultivation, hy the ami.
cation of the same labor and capital. - ~,
To which, of course, must be added a rerau.
neration TO indemnify the landlord, or DOS
SCISSOR, for any improvements he NAV hay,
made on his land, or any which persons ma,
choose to offer in order to obtain and con
veniently situated for obtaining manur.s fol
rendering it fertile, or from its proximity 4
a large town or convenient market for dis
posing OF its produce.
Some portions of land, however. from thei
inferior quality will command no rant. the,
being so barren as not to be worth culliya
ton, or If persons were permitted TO cult
vate them no surplus could be realised with
which to pay rent, beyond the necessary re
Enumeration to the cultivator for the employ
ment Of his labor and capital.
There Is no doubt, however, that many
portions Of land in thus country, which, in
the hands OF their present pOssessors arr
not cultivated, would be gradually improy.
ed and made productive by great labor and
sacrifice, if persons disposed to undertake
their culture had the stimulus Of ownership
conferred on them, or bad long leases grant
ed to induce them TO make the trial.
the exclusive monopoly Of land in the
hands OF comparative few, affords them, il
many cases, power to obtain higher rents
from their land than its natural fertility
would otherwise warrant. This was the case
in this country q few years ago, when the
landlords having monopoly Of legislation,
as well as of the land, enacted laws TO pre.
vent foreign production from coming in CON-
petition with the productions of their own
lands, and so kept up prices, and enhanced
their rents artifciallY.
Similar monopohes produce the same, or
evon worse, results in Ireland at the present
d1y, where the competition OF the peasantry
to obtain possession Of their small holdings,
or patches Of land, is so rife that they Offer
an amount of Tent-often beyond their pow.
or Of payiDg-to obtain possession Of them.
The consequence is that the landlords are
enabled to exact as rent nearly the whole
produce Of the land; the only deduction be.
ing the mean and scanty subsistence Of the
wretcheo cultiVatofs, who have no lease or
security Of tenure, but must do their LAND =
lords bidding or be turned out 10 starve.
In England, however, though Ian Il Hos
exact the largest possible amount OF rent
they cannot obtain more than the value of
its produce beyond the cost Of its produc-
ton; as foreign competition keeps down the
prices Of landed produce, and as capital and
labor would 60 10 other countries, or seek
investment in other channels, rather than
invest them in land, and pay rents % exor-
Infant n IN harm
fair return for their labor and capital,
Hence it is that the amount OF rent gene
rally paid in England for different kinds Of
land, depends on their different degrees Of
fertility; On the eligibility of their situation;
ihs II proximity to market; or the value ef
mines anu minerals belonging TO them to
which must be added the increasing wants
Of . dense Population, Winch always make
and more valuable.
The improvements N ', on an e.nfe.
however, such as commodious dwelIir n.
barns, outhouses, drainage, &C., which !. iii
sanse it to command a higher rent than one
aot so improved, are TO be considered, saw
political economists, az q remuners lion ~
interest for the capital invested in them,
atheF than as rent, though they are paid as
'Ich. ffl
Tie fent Il dwelling houses. shops. facto-
ICES docks, &c., will depend on the eligibll-
~ Of their situation, their suitability 60 the
rants OF their occupants, the amouit OF cap
tai invested 10 THEM, rs well as on the de-
hands Of an increasing population.
LAndnear towns, IL not fertile. g = iii often
ommand high rental for b1ilding pur-
'oses, docks factories, &C., as well a. for
h0 nurnhkg.s a. hrfrb n, IL s,,.. 81 ~ 1890