The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-07
GLADSTONE As A SOCIALIST.

The latest convert to State socialism is
Mr.. Gladstone. Eight years ago he carried
through Parliament his franchise bill, con-
ferring the right Of voting on two millions
Of British subjects who had previously en-
loved no political rights; now he proposed
to give these new voters a piece Of land.
His method is rather complicated. He pro-
roses to organize land districts consisting
Of several parishes, these districts to have
the power to compel landowners TO lease
small farms to the district for the benefit of
labOreTs at a rent to be fixed by arbitration.
/ The leases are to run for term of years.
Mr.. Chamberlaiu's plan, with which the
reader is familiar, contemplated the pUr-
chase outright of farm lands by land dis
tricts aud the lease Of such lands by the
district to laborers. Mr.. Gladstone aD-
parently foresees that this plan would con-
flict with the law of mOTtmain and would
involve endless litigation; 50 lie proposes
leases instead Of purchases.
1t need hardly be pointed out that this IS
/ State socialism on the lines on which that
/ policy has been attempted in Germany. If
/ there is any justification for such inter
! ference with private rights it must be found
/ IN the fact that the whole soil of Great
/ Britain, a country which contains IS, OOO, 900
people, is owned by inst one million per-
sons. So enormous a dispropOTtion be-
tween the landowners and the landless
may well suggest heroic measures.
Propositions Of this nature should always
be welcomed. even when they appear to be
Of doubtful soundness, because it is for the
public interest that such subjects should be
discussed. We are far from having reached
4 finalily in social legislation. The develop
ment Of commerce and industry and wealth,
and the new uses to which human energy
aud capital are being put. are creating new
exigencies and requiring new laws to regu-
! late them. Our single-tax theorists do not
seem to be making converts very fast but
! they may be useful in their day and genera
/ ton by inviting earnest investigation of
/ fiscal 8cience problems Henry Georges
Progress aud Poverty" which contains
more faiacies than any recent book OF its
size, has nevertheless done some good by
pointing cut dangers that will have to be
guarded against in the future.
A State law in any State of the Union re-
curing a landowner TO lease his land for
agricultural purposes to a land district
would not conform to our ideas of equity or
policy. The State may take a mans land
for railroad purposes or military purposes
OF any other obviously public use. In that
case the State pays for the land whatever
sum jury decides that it is worth. But it
could hardly be maintained that the land
was being put TO public use il it was taken
for cultivation by impecuniOus farm labor
/ ers. AS a matter Of fact, most landowners
/ in this country would be only too glad to
/ lease out parcels Of land to persons who
| would cultivate il without any pressure
/ from the State. 1t is probably different in
! England. There a mans station in life
! largely depends on the size Of his estate,
/ and he prefers 10 keep control Of his rents
! in his own hand.
Americans, moreover, grow more distTust-
full of paternalism the more they watch its
working in Europe. Every now and then
some crank gets up here and proposes that
the Government shall hoist him on its
shoulders and carry him through the jour
ney Of life. But bis scheme is quickly re-
duced to an abSurdity when it is shown that
every other American would have q right to
share the conveyance and that in time j.
would be incOnveniently crowded. Still this
is a country whose conditions differ from
those of foreign States. There may be good
reasons for Mr.. Gladstone's enrolling him.
self in the ranks Of State Socialists.