Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-21
THa PROGRESS OF The DEBATE on
STATE SOCIALISM.

Henry Fawcett, NJ. P, in a chapter on
state socialism, which he has prepared to
be inserted in his work on political econ
Omy now forthcoming, at the outset takes
hold Of she favorite theme of Henry
George, Of this country, and handles it
very freely, coming to the conclusion that
the naturalization of land is one of the
least reasonable of theories, and altogether
impracticabIe. He discovers what all
readers of Mr.. Georges writings early find
out, thar while his lines move very
smoothly, it is often very difficult to
ascertain the exact character of his pro-
posals, In Short, Mr.. George deals largely
in generalities, and the vigor of denuncia-
tion, and the keenness of his sarcasm,
cloud the atmosphere of his logic. Thus,
Mr.. Fawcett, after careful reading, comes
TO the conclusion, and still not without
some apparent misgivings, in bis anxiety to
Justly interpret, that what George really
means by his scheme, is, that existing
land owners shall have nothing for their
LANDS, except, perhaps, compensation
which in amount would be equivalent only
TO q small proportion of the present selling
value OF the property. Now it strikes Mr..
Faweets, as it has many another, that this
would be an injustice which nothing can
eEcuse. II land is taken it must be only
on payment Of the full market price, and
shat the taking is for the benefit of the
propertyless can in no way properly affect
She question, nor can other of the finely
wrought arguments of Mr.. George, in
which the right of men to fair portion of
this footstool is set forth with suoh eff
fective eloquence.
Admitting that the state, representing
the people, once possessed the land, it does
not follow, as Mr.. Fawcett shows at
length, that, after having relinquished her
right, she may Justly withdraw from the
compact and deny her own title. 1t is not
a question of whether it was expedient to
have so relinquished it in the first in
stance, OF not. If there is to be present
appropriation, it can in justice only be
after full compensation, at present market
value, to present owners. He does not
wish, however, to be understood as saying
shat where state now holds proprietary
rights in land, and it would be desirable
for it to surrender them. The state should
not completely divest itself of these
rights, but retain an interest in the form
Of land tax equal to some small proportion
of the annual value of the land. Until Mr.
George entered this field, says Mr.. Fawcett,
80 one ever advocated naturalization of the
land-not even the Internationals, with
out full compensation being given to
owners under existing laws. Embark on
the doctrine of taking land without com.
pensation, and it would not be the prop
erty of the rich alone that would suffer,
but the small accumulations of the poor
would be con6scated also no one can say
where the spoliation would end, for if the
state is to take all the land without CON-
pensation the workman who has acquired
home by hard labor and years of coon
omy, must part with it.
Naturalization, with compensation,
would also be mischievous, though not, in
his opinion, so unjust. The compensation
in England, rated at annual values on
thirty years purchase, would amount to
swo billion pounds sterling, or nearly three
times the amount of the national debt.
How shall the state act when it has all
the land ? Who is to decide what parties
are to have particular lots! What prin-
ciple is to regulate the rent charge
are pertinent questions to be
asked. II it is responded,
composition then how much better of
will the cultivator be in paying rent to the
state than to a private individual. If
market competition is not to be the rule,
then who is to bear the loss and make up
DEFICIENCIES asks the esssyist. The one
.sggly IS general taxation" That means
saxcasod burdens placed upon wage win.