The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-29
MASS CITY BANKER TALKS
ON POLITICS OF ENGLAND
Colonel Scott, Just Back From Trip
Abroad, Tells of Budget Fight in
Parliament = People Would Tax
Land-House Of Lords, Hcwever,
Would Establish Certain Duties.

upper peninsula. is going west &c
quette. where he win spend few
days before resuming his journey
\ Colonel Scott has travelled $4,000 miles
during the past year and was called
home from England by the fire which
destroyed some of his property in
Mass. During the administration OF
President Grant, Colonel Scott was
United States consul at Tangler, Nor
Deco and altogether he has spent
about eleven years i'm Africa.
Having just returned from England
Colonel Scott is able To throw some
FIRST hand light on the political situa-
/ tion in that country, which is now at
white heat because of the near APP
proach of rhe time when the house of
! lords will vote on the budget. The
budget adopted by the house OF COM
mons provides for an increased tax on
| land, TO which the house of lords the
members of which are extensive land
owners, is naturally opposed However,
public clamor seems TO be strongly in
! favor of the budget and as custom
has given the house of commons SUI
premacy i'm matters of finance, there
will be strong feeling against the lords
If the budget is voted down. The
budget may then be voted on by the
people. and it is believed that the
people will vote in its favor. Neverthe-
less, the general opinion is that the
house of lords will turn down the bud
get by a large majority.
People Much interested.
I'm no political campaigns in this
country during my lifetime have the
people been so generally wrought up
as they are i'm England this fall.
Immense mass meetings are being
held throughout the country every day
and the excitement is intense. The
sentiment of the common people and
especially of the farming class seems
to be Overwhelmingly in favor Of the
budget. II strikes me that the Bril-
tons are more Independent thinkers
politically than the Americans. The
people Of this country are pretty apt
TO believe as their political leaders
believe. but i'm England every man has
an opinion Of his own, which he does
not hesitate TO express. In fact. il
struck me while abroad that in reality
Great Britain is the republic and the
United States the monarchy, as far
as the political power of the people is
concerned. In that country proposed
I -.
hers of parliament pledged before they
are elected. and no legislation can be
brought up which has not first been
submitted TO the people in this man
ner. In case any measure advocated
by either party is defeated. all the Of
icials Of that party from the prime
minister down promptly resign, and the
king appoints men Of the winning par
~ i'm their stead. In this way the
people have a great deal more say in
the making of the laws than they do
In this country.
A Political Crisis.
"The present political crisis in Eng
land is most interesting. The peer
age Of the country owns most of the
land which is now rented at n GER
tain price and the renter pays the
taxes. All incomes of over $4,000 per
year are taxable but the tenants feel
that the land owners should also bear
a part of the burden Of land taxa
ton. This has been provided for in
the budget prepared by the house Of
commons. The house of lords, being
a body of land owners, is opposed to
this idea and would provide for the
expenses OF government by levying n
tax on certain imports. The people
are much opposed to this plan. belev-
ing It would raise the price Of goods
they have TO buy.
In reply to this argument, the peers
maintain that increasing the tax on
land would simply raise the rent that
much. Answering that argument, the
supporters Of the budget declare that
the tenants are now paying all the
rent they can afford to pay and that
any increase will of necessity drive
the farmers out Of the country. II the
house of lords turns down the budget
IL is my opinion that it will be put
to vote Of the people and carried
by a large majority"
What can you say as to the relative
economic and social condition Of the
common people i'm England and in this
country" was asked OF Colonel Scott
Common People Prosperous.
THE average day laborer clerk and
workingman of England is just as well
off as in this country" he replied
while American wages are much
higher than wages in England. the pur-
chasing power of money Is enough
greater there 10 Offset the difference
/ was quite surprised at the general
economic prosperity Of the English
people. The English farmer. how
ever. does not have the opportunity
that the tiller of the soil has in this
country. Here a man can go west,
take up claim for little or nothing
and i'm a few years make of il n valu-
able farm. There is no such opportun-
ity in England and the large proper
ton Of the farmers are renters, who
are making little more than a scanty
living.
another thing that impressed me in