Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-13
Great Rritain,s Crisis.

as highly developed as is that IN force
in this and most other civilized coun-
tries, but is somewhat in the nature
of an entering wedge. The Cnlonists
have sense enough to know that free
trade England would not drop the
free trade fallacy and substitute
| a protective tariff adequate to m
SIRE nrotection to her industries
all at one time. Such an upheaVal
in ideas and customs is too much for
ENGLAND to grasp. So it is that we
find the Unionists asking the support
of the people for mild sort of pro-
tectiye tariff calculated to become the
foundation and precedant of more
extensive reforms in future years. At
fairs are in such a state in England
that it is possible that the Unionists
will win on this platform.
Under free trade the people have
been reduced to perjury, and agricul-
ture has declined until there is prac-
tically none. Within few months
England has INDUCED in war scare
(fostered by the nobility which has
made necessary naval program in
vovins the building of eight new
dreadnaughts at a cost OF Sl0,OOO,OOO.
The industrial conditions have been
such for years that large numbers
come down to old age in poverty and
distress. In 1895 Lord Chamberlain
offered old age pensions as a remedy
of this regrettable condition. His
idea bears fruit in 1909 in a proposal
to expend $4O,OOOOOO The Budget as
a whole calls for an expenditure of
$500, oOO 900.
Immediately after it was determined
that 1920, 000, 600 was needed to defray
the expenses of the English nation
for the coming year, it was also dis
covered that the old methods of rails
ing money would not suffice. The
Lloyd George budget proposed that a
greater proportion of this expense be
borne by the nobility. On motion of
Lord I.awnsdowne (the same gentle
man whose incompetency brought such
disaster during the Boer War; the
this program.
A glance at what the Lloyd George
budget proposed to do easily ex-
plains the position of the 10
bility. The budget proposed to
tax the unearned increment on
land. That means that the land which
heretofore paid nothing on account of
its increased value brought about by
the highly remunerative use to which
it is put would be obliged to bear its
share of the burden. The one way in
which this has been reached before has
been totally inadequate as it was
through a nominal tax on incomes
BY the old law incomes were taxed 50
that the man who earned his income
contributed in proportion to the
man whose income resulted from
the wisdom or foresight of his
the proposal to tax new leases of land
at the fiat rate of ten per cent. In
6t flrn
sidered separate from the buildings
standing thereon. The land was
leased to tenants for term of years,
usually 80, at the end of which time
the improvements reverted to the own
or OF the land. 1t has come to pass
that when a tenant sought to renew
his lease in order to continue in
business the land owners have ex-
acted most exorbitant rates, in addi-
ton to the erection of new buildings
in many cases and the paying of a
bonus to the land owners. Heretofore
no part of this money has found its
way into the national treasury. 1t will
thus be seen that the unearninc mere
ment taxes levy directly upon the no
hiiity and inasmuch as the 500 men,
bers of the House of Lords own Il. 900
900 acres of land, varying from 5000
acres, the holdings Of the Duke
Leinster, TO about 35SOOO acres tie
holdings of the Duke of Sutherland
it will be seen that a vast amount of
cash would be wrung from a COMPARE
lively small number of people. The
second tax to which the Lords OBJ
jccted was that on mining property,
which under the new Budget would
have been compelled to pay it's just
proportions Of the expense of the
government. Inasmuch as every part
of the mining industry pays a tax
except that part which yields directly
to the Lords, it is seen that they suf-
fer in this instance also.
The third and perhaps the most
vigorous objection of the Lords is t.
the proposal to tax liquor licenses &C
cording to their earnings Many
years ago very low license was in.