The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-11-13

now, he believed that it would become
still more valuable, and he holds It'll
over for his price-a price ten, twenty,
fifty, one hundred, or two hundred
times what he gave for it-a price
which comes to him from nothing he
has done or spcnt-which comes to him
from the sleepless activity and energy
of his neighbors. "Very WE'LL" says
the Chancellor of the EXchequer, "if
you wait for your price, pay while you
wait" cloud applause)
The last of the land taxes was the
Mining Royalties tax. What were
royalties? Something rcgal-Yes! Ten
millions a year were paid to the land
ed proprietors in this way and these
gentlemen spent nothing to gain the
money. Mining royalties were large
great proprietors Of mineral fields, who
never put the minerals there, by the
busy and Industrious people in this
country. who were willing to spend
their money and toll in winning those
treasures from the earth. The Cham
cellor thought that out OF thnt wealth,
which they had done nothing and spent
nothing to create. they might contribute
modest, one tenth to the needs of the
| communiry:,i x Hear, -hesnr3 They had
heard, no doubt. soMsthffg about
thought what heavy handicap those
mining royalties were to their great
Industrial concerns? Ten days ago he
had stood on the same platform side
by side with one of their greatest cap
tains Of industry. a man who was at
the head of five of the greatest in
dustrial concerns in the adjoining is
lands-a man who was very heavily hit
by the present Budget, but who whole
heartedly supported every clause OF it.
He need hardly say that he was not Il
duke. NhuEhtcr.) He had heard that
gentlemen tell his own constituents
that before commencing mining opera
tions every week they had to lay down
on the table 1900 pounds to be paid to
a man who had done nothing and spent
nothing to gain that money for the
right Of getting minerals from under
the soil-mincrals which he had never
known were there, minerals which he
never paid for, and which by right be-
lOnged to the Crown. (Applausc)
j Mining royalties were the toll which
:! industry paid to idleness-the wages
paid by the bees to the drones.
l He sometimes thought that the very
mention Of land or land taxes seemed
to deprive many people Of their reason.
At all events they were not open to
reason. They ragged and foamcd at the
mouth whenever the subject was men
i toned. When they cOndescendcd to
tell them their objections to the land
taxes they usually began by saying
commodities, and that they were not
therefore entitled to treat land in a
different way from other commodities.
! He thought it would be worth their
while to inquire whether or not land
was the same as other commodities
but they were the Judges, and he was
going to try and enumerate to then
what he took to be the characteristic
} features Of land-bare land, not build.
ings, as distinguished from other com
modities.
/. Land comes from the hands o.
; the Creator and does not owe its ex.
istence to man. ...
2. 1t is strictly limited in quantity
You can no more add to the area Of
:, the country than you can add q cubi,
to your stature.
3. 1t Is absolutely necessary for oul
, existence; 1t is necessary for our pro.
. duction; 1t is necessary to us when we
wish to exchange our products.
. 4. Land does not owe any part Of
its value to anything which its owner
does or spends upon 1t.
- S. Land owes it's value entirely tC
n the presence, needs, activity and ex.
penditure of the community.
Il 6. And lastly, and dearest Of all tt
" the heart of the tax collector, and the
e law officer Of the Crown-land canno