Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-09
BIG LANDLORDS
UN1AXEO WEALTH
Campaign by Duke of Norfolk
Leads to Exposure of Debt
Evading System.
HIMSELF GREAT BENEFIC lARY.
JonhOil's Artstocrsitlc Ground Land
lords Own Nearly All Real rs
tate and Escape Taxes
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
r ONDON, March His grace, tho
Duke OF Norfolk. Earl of Arundel,
Surrey and Norfolk, Baron Fitz-
Alan Clun, Oswalde stre and NAL
travers earl marshal, hereditary grand
marshal and hereditary chief butler OF
England, X. G.. p G., e. C., v. o..
has come out In new role. that cf
the champion OF the oppressed rate
payers With a rent roll of sT60.000
a year derived from his $4,000 broad
acres. and nobody knows how much
more from his enormously valuable
London property, the premier duke of
England isn't worried by the tax coll
lcctor. But he feels sorry for those
who are.
AS president OF the Municipal So
elety. he has issued flanlboyant man.
1festo to the London ratepayers de-
nouncing the progressive" members
of the London county council for vast
ing their money and appealing to
them TO vote for the candidates OF his
party--the "Moderates" as they are
termed--at the forthcoming county
election. as the only means Of getting
The burden of the rates reduced. The
Moderates are opposed 10 municipal
ownership. just how the taxes are to
he reduced by turning the streetcar
lines and other public utilities over TO
private corporations 10 make money
out OF. instead of running them for
the benefit and proflt of tho cotnmun-
ity isn't clear to everybody, However.
that Is a dcbateable question. The
dukes intrusion In the campaign has
caused the limelight 10 be turned ON
him as a shining example OF a great
London ground landlord who profits
enormously by 'unearned ncrem ent"
and pays practically no local rates.
Whereby the argument IL forced home
that the best way to tighten the bur
den or taxation under which the Lon
don ratepayers are staggering Is TO put
= fair share OF II ON the backs % the
Duke of Norfolk and other OF his ilk.
INCREASING REVENUE.
The bulk OF the Dukes London
property In Norfolk, Howard. Surrey,
and Arundel street. Strand, IL situated
on the site OF his ancestors town house
which was leased TO speculative build
.ars after the great London fire OF 666
The original so years leases expired
IN the eighteenth century and the
houses which other men had built
became the property of the Dukes Of
Norfolk The dukes went on letting
them on 20 and 80 years leases, get
ding a premium for renewal every time,
and increasing the rent whenever they
Released Them
The building Of the Thames en-
baukrnent resulted In a tremendous
Increase in the value OF The duca
property. This enormously costly work
was paid for by the ratepayers, The
duke contributed nothing to- II. He
merely profited by It by doubling and
treblIng his rentals The rent of
prlyate hotel Ia Norfolk street WIS
raised from $3.50 Il year 10 81 20 The
Conservative Land SnpietN which Ou-
clpied promises IN Norfolk street and
had expended $4,000 In Improving II,
had their rent raised Oh the expIrA-
tion OF their lease from $3.50 10 1880
year--an increase 81 considerably
over 800 per cent. That WAS because
their Own improvements had added
considerably 10 the value oI The prop
erty over and above what II derived
from public improvements, Thus did
the duke increase the poor ratepay-
ers burdens when he got the chance,
SUBJECT or INQUIRY
These matters and others OF kin
dred character were made the subject
al an inquiry at the time. or course
the duke did not appear before II ~
person, His agents attended 70 the
raising and collecting 81 his rents 70
The agent who represented him this
question WAS put
You consider. as ] understand, that
the ground landlord has the right 10
ALI tho improved value that may accrue