The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-30
Henry George. Jr.

the well-intentioned young king.
Louis XVI. to the Office OF controller
general of France, or what we would
call secretary OF the treasury.
Likewise when Mr. Asquith became
premier OF the British government
year ago, David Lloyd-George, an ex-
tremely able statesman and advanced
Democrat. became chancellor OF the
exchequer. or secretary of the treas
ury.
Turgot had to face social conditions
in which tens OF thousands were suf-
fering the last extremes OF poverty,
many actually dying of starvation.
while the aristocrats, constituting
only | per cent of the whole popula-
ton of France, owned one-ha1f the
land end almost all the important inn
provements and valuable movables.
Besides, there were frightfully mud
lled finances.
LIoyu-George has had to face social
conditions in which tens OF thousands
NJ BRITISH workmen are idle or who
Toll for wages that scarcely keep
their families from starving and are
herded together as II they were
brutes rather than human beings. And
vet the aristocrats In the house OF
lords own most OF the united king
dom. wear purple and fine linen and
dine sumptuously. Seven lords IN Lon
don alone draw more than SI5,OOO,OOo
IN rents annually. largely out OF the
Sums. too. AS for the finances,
Lloyd-George found them frightfully
confused by the preceding Tory gov
eminent.
Turgot said: 1--WE need revenue for
the government. We cannot tax the
masses OF the people any more. They
are taxed too much already. we
must take the taxes of grain. which
means bread, and put taxes on the
great landlords, who pay scarcely any
thing"
Lloyd-George drew up budget
which proposed to- raise many mil
lions OF revenue from great many
sources. OF these taxes he purposed
that less than per cent-chieily
from the very valuable lands OF the
aristocrats, most of whom go almost
free. paying on valuation made more
than 200 years ago.
rhe aristocrats of France saw that
Turgot intended to trench upon their
privileges CT calling France theirs ana
NJ exacting from the rest OF the popu-
Iation heavy payment for permission
10 live there. Turgot In fact intended
10 take the taxes off bread and put
them on the great landlords. Inc
latter did not care how many oil inc
poor starved; they would not yield
one inch of their privileges. Ihey
compelled the weak king to dismiss
Turgot.
The British lords care not how
many people Of their realm starve'
They offer every resistance 20 pay
ing the small tax hoyd-George wants
10 put on their estates. More IMAM
that. they resist any new valuation OF
the lands of the united Kingdom. Ana
10 cap IL all. they propose TO put
tax upon the peoples food 10 that
end they have rejected the Lloyd
George budget in the house Of lords
and are now trying to capture the
house OF commons at the polls.
After Turgot had been forced from
ofHce the aristocrats of France had
things their own way for few years.
But at last their woodworking be-
came unbearable. The people arose
In blind revolution. They not mere
lv swcpt the monarchy away. and with
n all the privileges of the aristocrats,
Int they cut of many aristocrauc
heads. The aristocrats, In yielding
nothing. lost all.
Is anything like this to be the fate
OF the British aristocrats? They will
Weld nothing at this time. Suppose
they shall be able TO buy or cajole
the masses of Great Britain at this
election and win Will that end the
matter? Dy no means. II will only
postpone the day of reckoning for
Privilege. When that day shall ar
rive. the passions raised by the gen.
eral wrongs and widespread suffering
will be the deeper and the deadlier
for the delay.