Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-13
LITTLE DAVID
UPSE1S ENGLAND
CONTINUED from Fourth Page,

CONTINUED from Fourth Page.)
The dukes and the rich brewers AMI
the other great fortune owners had
been advising Mr.. Lloyd George to in
crease the tax on sugar, and on coffee.
ana on that sort of thing. They urged
that this was just the time to impose
a protective tariff, as a means to get
ting revenue. But, unlike Senator AL
drich. who was afraid the income tax
would break down the protective sys-
tenn. Mr.. Lloyd George was fearful that
any protective tariff taxes would break
down his income and death tax sys-
tenn. He would have none of it: ne
wanted to use his taxation scheme as
means to distributing huge accumu-
lations back to the community. instead
Of as a means to adding yet moro to
them
A Scream of Anguish.
Well. the scream of anguish that
went up from the scandalized rich was
fearsolne to contemplate. One duke
with 919 years of noble ancestry and a
county or two of good land, declared
that if that budget carried he would
be unable to keep more than one steam
yacht, and honestly, he mighth have to
lop off his charities. Another threat
ened, in public speech, that If the
budget carried he would quit his an
nual donation of $500 to the hospital in
his town, and might have to stop COZ
tributing to support the rector. And the
, audience only laughed.
But all this wasn't more than the be-
ginning Sometime in his callow youth
the Welsh chancellor had read pro
gress and Poverty" the single tax ax-
position by Henry George. An Ameii-
| can, yes; but Mr.. Lloyd George didn't
mind that: the logic of 1t seemed good
! to him. Why not tax the unearned in
crement, and thus prevent another 81
of dukes or brewers. in future, getting
all the wealth surrounded?
| So he provided for 90 per cent tax
on the unearned increment of value ir
land. to be imposed on the basis q
revaluations at fixed periods. That is
if you own a corner lot on business
street and the town grows up around
T. and in fifteen years the lot tina
cost you $4,000 is worth 100000. a:
some lots in American cities have done
whv a valuation shall be made. ant
|
| increment Mr. Lloyd George has
curious notion that the land is made =
be used, not to be epeculated In. or 4
be fenced up in parks and game pre-
serves Moreover, he believes that i
the growth of the community arount
1t makes it valuable. the community Il
entitled to a generous slice of the valu,
| it puts into the land
Leases Hit Too.
Now. in England there are vas
number of very long-term leases. a
fixed and often nominal rentals. Som
| of these have been made for 999 years
and are about expiring. When thu
leases expire. and the land. especiall.
If it is on the Strand or Cheapside o
Regent street, the people who come in
to that land will have something YER.
choice So Mr.. Lloyd George looked
after their case with provision for (
huge graduated tax on the benefits t
be derived from expiration of leases.
And then. perhaps because he ha
heard of the conservation projects 0
Roosevelt and Pinchot and the high
browed professors of political econom
. in Germany. Lloyd George imposed
special tax on undeveloped minera
deposits In the ground. He didn't be
lieve in anybody holding coal Il
, scarcity should increase the price, an
. then making big thing out of it.
From these taxes on unearned in
vestments Of one sort and another tn
. burget provided that half the proceed
should go to the treasury of the ma
ton and half to that of the local gov
eminent division That enlisted III
poor Of the cities in favor of ii
scheme.
And when the budget was all read
Mr.. Lloyd George cheerfully pointe
out that if the dukes and the rest {
: the tories wanted more battleships, i
: could get still more money by simpl
= raising still higher these converter
: and easily collected taxes on the Yer
0 rich.
And this was what Lloyd-Geors
gave the wealth of Britain. at tin
: when II was asking that more revenl
n be raised by increased taxes on the Il
n and coffee and sugar of the poor.
Such a blow at the rights of the rio
must be Tended off. The millionaire
n all denounced the scheme as revol,
: tionary; and the people who werer
nillionaires but who were much mo
numerous, laughed.
a Great Game Being Played
Now, the budget is about passing Il
70 commons. and the lords are wonderil
10 if they have the nerve to reject it. NJ
Is Asauith has declared that if they reje
Is 1t. the house of lords will be abolisfe
Y. he will go to the country with that al
the Socialist budget" as his platforr
20 and the results of these recent ele
:, tons. together with the general temp
- of the country, leave small doubt of t
y result.
- King Edward has taken hand. a
M cording to report, to fend off such
No crisis if possible. He has been co
~ ferring with leaders on both sides
the effort to arrange a compromise.
Mp. Lloyd George sits tight behi
"a his full hand and so the greatest po
teal poker game of recent years is
10 ing played by the little Welsh cha
40 cellor Whatever happens, it see
% sure to amount to social and eeonon
", revolution.
50 Novelist Barre Gets Divorce.