The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-11-11

vent another set OF dukes or brewers. in
future. getting all the wealth ~surrounded7 j.
So he provided for q 20 per cent tax on
the unearned increment OF value in land
to be imposed on the basis OF revaluations
at fixed periods. That is. II you own a
corner lot on a business street. and tho
town grows up around 1t. and in 16 years
the lot that cost you $4,000 Is worth $780,
600. as some lots in American cities have
done, why a valuation shall be made, and
you are mulcted 20 per cent of that incre-
ment. Mr.. Lloyd-George has q curious
notion that the land is made to be used.
not to be specialized In. or to be fenced up
In parks and game preserves. Moreover.
he believes that il the growth OF the COM
munity around it makes 1t valuable. the
community is entitled to a generous slice
of the value it puts into the land.
Now, In England there are a vast num-
Der OF very long-term leases. at fixed and
often nominal rentals. Some Of these have
been made for 999 years. and are about
expiring. When the leases expire. and
the land, especially II 1t Is on the Strand
or Cheapside or Regent street, the people
who come into that land will rave some-
thing very choice. So Mr.. Lloyd-George
looked after their case with provision for
a huge graduated tax on the benefits to DO
derived from expiration of leases.
And then. perhaps because he had heard
OF the conservative projects of Roosevelt
and Pinchot and the high-browed profess
sors of political economy in Germany.
Lloyd-George imposed a special tax on un-
developed mineral deposits in the ground.
he didn't believe in anybody holding coal
til scarcity should increase the price. n
then making a big thing out OF It.
EnIists Support Of Poor.
From these taxes ON unearned incre-
ments of one sort and another. the budget
provided that half the proceeds should go
to the treasury of the nation and half to
the local government division. That en-
listed the poor of the cites In favor OF tho
scheme.
And when the budget was all ready. Mr..
Lloyd-George cheerfully pointed out that
it the dukes and the rest OF the tories
wanted more ba%ttleships. he. could get
still more money by simply raising stfl
higher these convenient and easily-colfect-
ed taxes on the very rich.
And this was what L~loyd-George gave
the wealth OF Britain, at a time when n
was asking that more revenue be raised by
increased taxes on the tea and coffee and
sugar of the poor.
Such a blow at the rights Of the rich
must be Tended off. The mathematics all
denounced the scheme as revolutionary:
and the people who weren't miikonatres
WNvIkOEOUB,
laughed.
A member of the from a big
rural constituency died. and there was to
be a by-election to fill the vacancy Both
parties made a special effort to carry that
election, in order to show how the social
istic budget was regarded. The conserva-
tees were sure 1t would be repudtated. and
appealed for u safe and sane verdict.
Mr.. Lloyd-GeorEe took a day off and tail
ended that constituency just as MIR. Bryan
might do: and, sad to tell. when the votes
were counted. a man pledged to vote for
the Lloyd-George budget had almost every
vote, IN an enormous poll. 1t appeared
that the millionaire's vote was a bit shy
when 1t came to stacking up against the
votes of the millions.
Constitutional Question.
In Britain, it is a constitutional right OF
the house of commons to decide all imam
cal matters. TIL lords are presumed. as a
matter OF form. to pass any budget that
my faithful commons as the king calls
them in the speech from the throne, which
he doesn't write. send to the house of
peers for Its gracious Endorsement. But
this budget; really, the lords couldn't be
expected to swallow it comfortably.
The lords. in short, threatened to balk.
They would reject the socialistic budget
try. And just as they were making this
threat. which is extremely revolutionary
in England, another member OF the com
mons died. Agar Mr.. Lloyd-George, Also
Premier Asquith. and Mr.. Winston
Churchill, and a few other liberals.
stumped the district: and again the ltber-
ais. with the Socialist budget" a. the
issue. swept the election. The liberal cause
was looking up, most decidedly.
Now. the budget is about passing tho
commons. and the lords are wondering II
they have the nerve to reject it. Mr.. AS
quith has declared that IL they reject It,
the house Of lords will be abolished: he
will go to the country with that and tho
''socialistic budget" as his platform: and
the results of these recent elections. to-
gether with the general temper Of tho
country. leave small doubt of the result.
King Edward has taken a hand. accord
ing to report, to fend off such a crisis II
possible. He has been comforting with
leaders on both sides in the effort to ar
range q compromise.
Mr.. Lloyd-George sits tight behind his
full hand; and so the greatest political
poker game of recent years is being played
by the little Welsh chancellor. Whatever
happens. it seems sure to amount to social
and economic revolution.
To Cool Water Without Ice.
From the Boston Globe.