Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-21

ners. But if the Government let's the land
on any different principle than that which
regulates such transactions in private life,
there would arise the evil of state patron
age, thing of which we in America have
a thorough understanding and of all
its consequent decentralization. Under
such scheme it is not needed to look
far to see who would have the fsvors and
the choice bits.
Mr.. Fawcett considers also the result of
so large debt as would be necessary to
purchase the lands, and the effects of its
creation-as, the unfavorable terms that
would be necessarily exacted-and points
out that the more hnfavorable the
terms the greater would be the difference
between the annual interest and the
amount yielded by the land. II, then, to
insure justice of distribution market com
petition be adopted, in order to let the
hands, the rents would be simply rack
rents" and the cultivators would have
simply a change of landlords, and he
thinks, after all that may be said, that the
private is far to be preferred to the state
landlord, since the latter can have no
bowels of compassion, entertain no senti.
ment whatever, and be moved by 10 sym
pathies. Rent would be as rigorous as a
tar, and no fayors in it could he shown
without destroying the whole system.
While the tenant would, under the state,
not be subject to capricious eviction, and
would not lose his improvements, yet he
thinks that these advantages may be &c.
cured to him by law without land nation
alization, and what he holds to be its in
evitable evils, and he cites the Irish Land
Act of 1881 and the compensation bill, to
show what may be done in that direction.
Bat it ia held by the reformers that the in
crease of values that follows increase of
wealth and population, and which does not
result from application of capital and
labor, but is rather the result of the prog
ress of the nation, belongs to the nation,
and may be taken by it. 1t was this IN
earned increment that John Stuart Mill
proposed the state should appropriate
To his argument Mr.. Fawcett replies that
if the state appropriates that value it
must also, in justice, give compen-
sation where there is depreciation through
no fault OF the owner, and this is
certainly telling point, and is the best
advanced in the elaborate essay. He ap-
plies the reasoning to the increase IN stock
values representing investments, where
there is appreciation without further in
vestment or effort, and holds that there is
as much reason for the Government selling
the unearned increment in the one case as
in the other. In conclusion he thinks that
what is most needed in reforming the land
tenure system is to free the land from the
restrictions in the English system, which
limit the amount brought into the market.
He warmly advocates ownership of soil by
the cultivator, and holds that England, of
all lands, can i'll afford to burden manu-
featuring with land rental. By legislation
the tenant may be benefited in many WAYS,
as, the securing to him Of improvements,
but no legislation can give the security
that one obtains who feels that he is ap-
plying his capital and labor to increase the
value Of his own property.
This is perhaps the most concise essay
that has appeared in response to that form
of state socialism which is embraced in
the various new dogmas relative to land
tenure, and it fairly and very clearly taxes
issue with the school of reformers Of which
Mr.. George is such prominent example.