The evening times., 1895-09-13
dawn OF TIE LAND BARON
Lrlstauay d Great Estitss Being Created
il LneIi.i.
Henry George Thinks It Is Already
Born-lmmense Holdings OF
Our MIlIionaires.
(Floritia CitizeD.)

| tfIof1da CitZeD.D
| Mr.. Henry George, whose writings on
econ omics have attracted more atten-
ton and exerted more influence than any
thing else that has been published since
| Adam smith's wealth OF Nations" has
recently expressed his belief that q class
similar to the landed nristocracy of Great
Britain Is being rapidly. formed in this
| country.
| Any suggestion made by the author of
Progress and Poverty sets many people
| to thinking and collecting facts. State
menta contained in the reports OF the last
census seem to confirm the views Of Mr..
George. In most Of the old States the size
| Of farms is increasing, while the Increase
| in the number Of farm tenants Is such as
| to create alarm. The number OF farmers
who do not own the land they cultivate
will soon be as great in this country as it Is
in Ireland and Bavaria IL things continue
togo on as they are now going.
A large landlord class can exist only
where there Ia a numerous tenant class.
In several of the Western States a class
analogous to the peasantry Of Austria
has already been created.
The professor Of social science in Co.
lumbia College, nc wever, sees no lndi-
cations that q great landlord class is
being created. He declares that the price
of improved land in the older States is noe
advancing, and that this furnishes evil
dence that rich men are not Investing in
it.
But it is well known that poor pa ying
property of every kind Is likely to fall into
the hands Of the rich. They can afford to
hold 1t though it is not for the time re-
mnDeratiye. Men of small means cannot
do this, as the annual payment Of taxes
forces them to dispose of property that
yields no income. Rich men are constantly
foreciosiDg mortgages on farms, and In that
way are becoming great La nded proprietors,
whether they desire to be or not. In the
newly settled States many persons OBJ
tain land under the homestead Ia w simply
for the purpose of raising money by means
OF mortgages.
That certain very rich men in this coun.
Try have during the past few years acquired
| vast bodies Of agricultural land is well
known Messrs. John V !, and Charles b.
Farwell. the great dry goods merchants in
Chicago, received the entire Pan Handle Of
Texas as consideration for erecting q State
house.
No British noblcman possesses so large a
body of land. They have also acquired the
land on each side OF the River Brazos for
distance OF ten miles. The intention is
TO improve this river and to build a city at
the mouth OF it. One of these brothers owns
also large tracts OF farming land in Northern
states Quite likely they are the largest
land owncrs In the world
Mr.. Austin Corbin, president of the Long
Island Railroad Company, hos recently ac-
quired over 26 900 acres OF la r.i in one body
in New Hampshire. George w. Vanderbilt
has bought 80 900 acres about Biltmore.
n C. Dr. William Seward Webb, a relative
of the yanderbilts by marriage, has ac-
quired 30, 900 acres ofIand among the Adj
rondacks In Northern New York. These ac-
Quisii ions and many smaller ones certainly
look like the formation OF great landed
aristocracy, with which that OF Great Brit
ain offers no comparison
But these men. except the first named,
have not acquired immense estates with a
view 10 establishing tenantry. Mr. Cor
bins original motive was sentiment, Of
which we have quite too little in this coun-
try. He wished to own the little house in
which he was born and the hard rocky farm
on which IL stood.
Having acquired these, he bought out his
nearest neighbors and soon found that most
of the owners OF worn-out farms in that
meek OF woods" wished 10 dispose OF them.
He accordingly determined to establish
great game preserve and to stock it with
,r,iI1 nis lc of l. ind hat mi An rr
Northern climate. In doing this he has
benefited persons who desire to study nat
ural science, poor farmers and the general
public. The enterprise was not one of gain.
Or. Webb also desired to establish
vast game and fish preserve. Incident
ally he wished to insure the preserva-
ton of the flora, fauna and wild, nat.
ural scenery of a portion Ut the Empire
State that lumbermen, wOodchoppers, char
coal burners and forest fires were rapidly
denuding OF trees. With his own means
he is doing what such men as Seymour,
TIlden, Marcy, Fillmore and seward rec
commended the State to do.
They saw that the most interesting por-
ton of it was in a way to be ruined. and
that the streams that flowed from it
were Crying up 10iS lduQ Is expensive
to clear, and tie soil Is too poor to culti-
vate with profit SIR. Vanderbilt pur-
poses to engage in scientific and practical
forestry. and in this affords the best OBJ
ject lesson in the W orld. Undoubtedly
North Carolina will be greatly benefited
by his operations.
To acquire large fortunes Is easier here
than in any other country. Nowhere else
are there such natural resources and such
rapid growth of towns But, with the ex-
ceptIon of SenatOrships.' few offices have
been gained by the employment OF wealth.
In most places great riches would cause
candidate to lose votes at the polls
Should one attempt to influence the votes
OF bis tenants and employees, he would
be certain Of defeat. The only arstocracy
we are ever likely to have In this country
is one OF wealth, and IL this wealth is
expended in the country instead of in
great cities the better will it be for farm
ers and rural artisans and laborers.
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