Cañon City record., 1910-02-17


ton in the world. Time was when
England deserved that reputation.
But times have changed; England
now is one of the most radical nations
in the world.
One has to rub ones eyes to realize
the changes that have come into Eng
land during the past decade. For they
are changes that we are accustomed
TO call revolutionary.
To begin win, they have the en-
ployers' liability act. which makes
an employer responsible for any ac-
cident to employees in his service
no matter who is to blame That act
includes all employees of labor. rail-
roads. manufactures. household-ev-
cry one; and IT practically puts upon
employers the responsibility to re-
place men who are broken. as they
replace machinery that is broken;
charging 1t to profit and loss.
Thus. an English railroad has to
pay for the fingers II nips. the legs It
breaks. the lives It skaters. no mat
ter whose fault II is, Just as 1t must
pay for the broken rails, the rusted
rods, the shattered cars in a wreck
no matter whose fault II is.
More than that. England issues an
old age pension to every man or wo-
man 20 years old. More than even
that IL has a heavy income tax and
takes q graduated tax off every in
heritance One would think that
would be enough
But the party in power. headed By
the Lord Chancellor OF the exchequer
Lloyd George. n welshman-is en-
acting a law which looks toward the
naturalization OF the land OF Eng
land. II is the old Henry George
single tax idea thinly disguised. Little
did Snediker and the single takers
of Elmendaro township. Lyon coun-
". state OF Kansas. dream a dozen
years ago, when they were leading a
torlorn hope In Lyon county politics.
trying TO sugar-coat their creed and
get Il incorporated into. the Populis.
platform, that the same doctrine
would be preached up and down Eng
land by the head OF the dominant
party and that successful politicians
would be fighting under the slogan.
down with the dukes"
The plan. as outlined in the gov
erument budget is to secure valua-
ton OF all English land. And when
ever any land is sold to take 20 per
cen, OF the Increase In value of the
land for the state. For instance. there
is vacant 100 foot lot at the corner
OF Tenth and Exchange In Emporia.
which the writer bought for $500
seven years ago. He has refused $500
for IL
Under the English proposal. when
he sells IL. II he does sell Il for 81 500.
the state. In addition To the regular
annual taxes, would take $500 before
the deed would be registered. as It's
share OF what the single takers called
the "unearned increment"
And this would be absolutely fair.
The man who bought that lot has
81 900; the people OF Emporia have
done most of 1t by living thriftily.
peacefully and honestly making the
town q desirable residence place.
They should. In all fairness. have
their share OF the increase in the
value OF city property. This is no
mere dream. II Is a law now in actual
practice in certain German cities. In
England II Is to be applied. not to
agricultural lands. which grow in
value through the owners improve
ments, nor to small holdings. but to
big city lots and estates-mostly of
the lords and dukes.
Now the employers liability law.
the old age pension law. the national
ization OF the land would seem to be
pretty advanced" Kansas would say
that n man proposing these things
was a cracked brain dreamer. fa-
natic-a Populist. In short Yet Eng
land-and most OF the civilized
world. except America. has gone this
| far In many directions. and In Ire
land. England has gone further:
there is now on the statute booksETA
land, England has gone further.
portunity TO purchase the land from
the landlords at nationally arbi-
trated price. and the public treasury
OF England advances the money to
pay the landlord and takes the ten
ants note at hfty years. time, giving