The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-03-01

value. A century later it was decided
that this tax should never should exceed
ten millions of dollars per annum. Lat
er again it was reduced to six million
dollars and remains so to the present
day. The land has never been revalued
Some of it has had cities built upon it,
and lands that were orinally worth few
dollars per acre are now worth ten
times as much per front foot. The land
under London is still assessed at the
same value as when much of it was agri-
cultural land or hunting preserves.
| Again this tax is on rental value. II
it isn't rented there is no tax-because
the owners do not pay the tax, it is col
lected from the tenant, and if there is nc
tenant there is no one to collect tax from
just think what that means as to hold.
ing land vacant.
We wonder why this is SO. The ans.
wer is, that the House of Lords passes
upon all the laws, and they own one-ffth
of all the land. The author of the
article calculates that instead of paying
only S6,OU0, 600 of taxes that these lands
should pay s2OO,OOO,OOO.
Another thing which to the American
seems almost impossible, is that the
cities have almost no corporate powers
Such as are given to even villages in
this country. Everything in the nature
OF franchises for water, gas, lighting, etc
is done by act of Parliament for each
city separately.
The cost of such legislation is some.
thing enormous. Not for bribery or cor.
rnption funds, but in hiring attorneys
and experts to represent the cities cases
before the Parliamentary committees
Something like court costs would be in
this country.
Just think of these figures as given in
the article referred to:
"a Parliamentary report shows that
from P92 to. 1898 it cost the local au-
thorities of Great Britain Civic bodies)
81, 100000 to protect themselves from
franchise grabs or to secure powers that
should be given them by general law
'The little town of Barnsley spent S75,.
600, on single bill, and in six years
the London City Council spent $50, ,OOC
in protecting itself or promoting bills
before Parliament" "Private and local
bills are SO costly that it is impossible to
secure legislation for any minor abuses
no matter how insistent they may be.''
Instances are given where railroads
pay from s25,00O to $40, 900 per mile for
the franchise alone, and as much more
for q right Of way-(over the untaxed
land.j English railways are capitalized
on 10000 miles of road for about five
billione of dollars, while American roads
have only twice as much capital on ten
times as many miles and we think our
stock pretty well watered to.
Another feature that wouldn't be
borne in:s America is. the fact that 229
members of the House of Commons
hold 673 directorships in English cor
porations and lQS Peersare..o on the boards
Of 1857 companies. When city wants
to buy any public benefit like gas,
water, street cars, etc, it has to go to
the owners of the franchise Parliament
for permission to buy and Parliment
by act fixes the price. The result may
be easily known and the facts provesit. \
We in America have our House of
Lords and it is dominated in some de-.
gree ~ railroad and corporated inAuen-
cesbut as the author points out, there
is great: difference, the American people
can and do investigate and kick, while
the Englishman has for generations
been inbred to bow down before the
..landed gentry without protest. We
can elect other senators if we choose,
hut Peers hold their seats BY birthright..
IA the; e;nexts ten years practically all our
senators will $be elected by direct vote
cfsths people, but II will wake q social,
ifsnot3 4 civil yolution to- abolish the
English House 81 Lords. III
81 anss sRetsrson shass sre'n. ed His farm toi b
AndieW Anderson a| Al III the agree