Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-02
Mr.. amberIafn en- pressing English
Questions.

The following are extracts from a recent
speech delivered by Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain
ut Ipswich:
What are the two greatest and most press
ing needs of our time? I should think most
men would say the provision of healthy, de-
cent dwellings in our large towns at fair
rents, and in the country facilities for the
laborer to obtain a small plot of land which
he may be able to work. TCheers 1 be-
lieve that both these objects can be attained
through the Intervention of the local author
tiles, and I would accordingly give to them
the power to acquire any land which it may
be necessary for them to take in order to
carry out those objects for any public pur-
pose l would further enable them to
quire it at its fair value, which l define to be
the price which Il willing purchaser would
pay to willing seller in the open market.
Surely that is not an unfair proposition.
Surely it is not too much to ask of the own
ers of land that they should hold their prop
erty subject, at all events, to the absolute
necessities of the community, and that they
should give up the chance of occasionally
making an extortionate profit whenever any
portion of their property is required for any
public service Hear, hear. 1 should also
propose to give to local authorities a very
wide discretion in carrying out the objects to
which l have already referred l would not
tie them down by too stringent rules.
would not attempt to obtain an absolute uni
formity of method. 1t would be better that
there should be many experiments tried, and
even that some OF them should fail; Others
would probably succeed. But pass on to
what is a very important question in relation
to this subject. IL we are going to increase
the work of the local authorities and to in
crease their expenditure, who is to pay for it
Ill T +Io4T 11otSo Q6 hat he
incidence of local taxation is fair. Hear,
hear have great sympathy with the farm
ers in the country and with the shopkeepers,
and especially the small shopkeeper in the
towns, upon whom rates press with terrible
severity, and I do not understand why the
whole burden of local taxation should rest
upon the occupiers alone, and upon them in |
proportion only to their ratable value Hear, |
hear. The ratable value may not, and very |
often does not, bear the slightest proportion |
to the means of the man who IS rated A |
very rich man may choose to live IN a very
small house. Why should he escape paying, |
not according to his house, but according to
the interest he has in the prosperity of the
country? 1t seems to me that the practice
which prevails in the United States of taxing
in some shape OF other all property for local
personal as well as real, is one
which deserves the fullest consideration.
Hear, hear. l would ask again, Why should
|
button to the expenditure of their localities?
These ground-rents have all grown out of the
prosperity and industry of the community.
The property of the owners has been i'm
proved by local expenditure, and why should
not the owners contribute toward the local
of which they ought to bear a
part? l would not confne my revision of
axation to local rates There are many
in our imperial taxation. have
never found, for instance, anyone to defend
he tobacco duty, which imposes tax of
400 per cent. upon the poorest kinds of to-
,acco, and which lets off the highest priced
igars with five OF ten per cent. Then there
s the income tax. Is it really admitted that !
he precarious income of struggling profess
ional man ought to pay in the same proper
ion as the income of a man who derives it
rom invested securities! Hear hear Is it
together such an unfair thing that we :
hould as in the United States, tax all in :
ONES according to their amount! Hear, 7
ear .
Prince Bismarck is a man who is not afraid {
f Socialist legislation; at the same time he 7
annot be accused of revolutionary designs /
observed that Prince Bismarck some time t
go proposed to the Reichstag an income tax, v
} be graduated according to the amount of +
he income, and to vary it according to the
of the income. We already have .
one something in that direction in exempt
lg the very smallest incomes from taxation.
Ut L SuDIQlL II Is well WOfIHy OI careful
whether the principle should
OF be carried little further. Hear, hear
course you will understand that it is quite
apostolic in the limits of a speech to emil
crate all possible questions of interest. I
ave said nothing, for instance, upon a very
nportant matter-namely, upon the anoma-
IS under which the owners of land have es-
ped their fair share of taxation when the
nd passes on death by Inheritance, and
I'VE said nothing about the curious arrange
ent under which unoccupied land which is
Sing held for speculation and investment,
hieh is held for the unearned increment.
capes all contribution whatever for local
xatlon. These are anomalies which at the
resent time make me inclined to say there
as some truth in the statement of the man
no said that the only difference in the Incl
snce of taxation consisted in an adverb, for
lille it pressed very hardly on the poor it
'essed hardly at all on the rich. Laughter
I'd cheers But want to pass on tn con-
der another and still greater question than
at of taxation. The question of land re-
rm is really urgent at the present time.