Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-23
USEFUL. SCOTCH FUND
Revenues From Many Sources
Used for the Common Good.
GRANTS FROM THE CROWN
Rents From Escheated Lands Help to
Increase Amount.
PENSIONS ARE PAID FROM IT
Used Also to Uphold the Dignity OF
the Municipality and En-
terrain Guests.
GRANTS FROM THE CROWN
PENSIONS ARE PAID FROM IT
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS,

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
| Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
| Herald.
| More than forty towns and cities in
Scotland have funds of money and sources
of revenue which may be used for any
! purpose whatever at the discretion
of the lord provost and his advisers
| They may give a banquet in honor of
some distinguished vist0. they may
award a medal for some act of heroism
they may pension an aged schooima' am.
| they may contribute toward any charity
| in the world or send an expedition in
search of the truth. This fund is called
1.-THE common good, and il is derived
from property bestowed upon the city
by kings and others from time to time.
from legacies of philanthropic people and
from sources other than taxation.
! "A royal burg in Scotland is city or
town which holds a charter from the king.
and in granting such charters the SOW
ereigns Of Scotland invariably accompa-
MED them with territory and privileges
as the vasSalS of the crown. which
grants have been augmented from time
to time by purchases and acquisitions out
| Of accumulated funds, by the forfeiture
of monopoles and by the inheritance of
property for which there were no other
| claimants. Even now. throughout the
| United Kingdom. all unclaimed articles
of value, an umbrella picked up in a
park. a purse that may be found in
railway train, hit of Wreckage that may
| be washed up on the sea beach, the real
and personal property OF subjects dying
| without theirs. and unclaimed deposits IN
the banks. go TO the king. although his
| possession is purely theoretical. He never
| sees the property, and when it is sold OF
| otherwise disposed OF thes proceeds are
turned into the public treasury, except in
the royal burghs' of Scotland. where
they are added to 1.-THE common good
Assets for the Common Good.
From the earliest times of which any
| trace remains. Edinburgh has held its ter
ritory and privileges direct from the SOW
ereign and has been generously treated by
the Scottish and later by the English
kings The earliest city charter now in
existence was granted by King Robert
the Bruce. May %. 1920. There are rec
| ords of other charters granted by King
| David l in 1143, and even earlier medic
val sovereigns. although the documents
| have been lost or destroyed. In granting
the charter Bruce conveyed to the bur-
| gesses, for the common good. certain
| rents which had been collected by the
| royal stewards for the crown, certain
| "tofts'' held by individuals. certain mo-
nopolies and privileges, including the right
| of fishing for mussel scalps and oysters
| in the Firth of Forth; the monopoly of
| Strengthening animals within the shire, the
| monopoly of markets and tire right TO tax
| eggs. poultry. grain. vegetables and other
articles sold in them
| In addition to-these sources of revenue
| the ancient patrimOny of the community
| included several mills for grinding wheat
| and corn, which long ago ceased to be
| used for their original purposes; AN an
nual multure under ancient servitude of
| thrlage," which means that certain pro-
prietors were bound to carry all grain
produced on their lands to a particular
mill to be ground. and all brewers were
compelled TO furnish certain amount Of
ale and beer for the use of the royal
household. That tribute was committed in
cash many years ago.
Lands Increase the Fund.
| To this day the corporation of Edin-
| burgh pays the King of England the
sum Of f5 sterling annually, as provided
by the charter, and the money is sent in
gold. The marriage articles agreed upon
in the year 1928 between the son of Rob-
ert the Bruce. King of Scotland, and the
daughter Of Edward III. King of Eng
land. stipulated that the dover of the
| bride should be SO many pounds Scot
fish, derived from the rental Of lands
In Scotland. to distinguish them from
pounds sterling" which was the Eng
fish form of expression. The lands from
which that income Of the bride was de-
rived now belong to the city of Edin-
gursh. and her portion is now paid into
| 1.-The Common Good"
Up to the end of the fifteenth century
the real estate belonging to 1.-The Com
mon Good was leased to tenants on
short time-one, three and sometimes five
years-but the system was found to have
it's disadvantages because the tenants
| ~ a oh ~,
could out of the land while they held it.
and often left it in such condition that
a considerable part of the revenue was
necessary for repairs. Besides. there were
always squabbleS and charges of favOrit-
/ ism and corruption in awarding the
leases. For that reason, about the be-
ginning of the fifteenth century, the mag
istrates decided that it would be wiser
ity-the word "feued is the Scottish
term for lease.
Long Leases Bad Investments.
They had no intention of despoilng
The Common Good" and doubtless con-
graduated themselves upon securing bet
ter terms from the tenants by writing the
leases for nine hundred and ninety
years, but they did not anticipate the in
crease OF values Hence. some of the
property which was leased for q few
pounds year is now sublet for a thou
sand times that rental
some of the most valua BILE propertv in
Edinburgh Is held under such leases made
two and three hundred years ago in per-
petulty Tor nominal sum. and there is
no lawful method of correcting the mis-
takes OF those who are responsible They
accepted what they considered a fair
price. and no doubt cOngra tulated them
selves upon making good bargain.
For example. a certain Bailie Warrender
In the year 100 leased a tract of four
teen acres for an annual rental of clO
IS. 4d., and his descendants now derive
an income Of more than $Io5.0OO a year
n from 1t. OF course there is great
| deal OF complaint. and some Of the good
people of Edinburgh consider II ire
mendous scandal, but the original trans
action was open and honest and no
court would deprive the Warrender fam
lily of the revenues of the land.
Single Acre Rents for $4,000.
In another case single acre, which
was leased in the year 1922 for Us. a
year, now brings the descendants of the
original lessee an income of $4,000 1t
occupies one of the most favorable bust
ness locations in the city. and could be
sold for eco, 900 or G 100000, but at the
time it leased it had 20 practical
value.
Several churches of Edinburgh occupy
land which belongs to 1.-The Common
Good" for which they pay no rent. and