Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-06
The Lords Pass the Budget.

1t was conceded by the Lords that they
would make no further opposition to the
Lloyd-George budget, though it was their
throwing out of this budget that caused
the termination Of the last Parliament
and the Liberal party's appeal to the
people" Very dubious was the victory
which the Liberals secured. They hold
their present power only by reason of aid
from Redmond's Irish NationaIsts, and
Redmond is at the present moment
more influential to dictate than is Prime
Minister Asquith. But however slight
the fabric of their influence, the Liberals
are the embodiment of what is the best
approach to a reliable parliamentary ma
Jorlty that can be marshaled at the mo-
ment. They have put through the Lloyd
George budget, and the Lords have fol
lowed them in passing it. Ii the Union
lst forces gain sufficient encouragement
from the people at any future election
they will be sure to revise the budget as
one of their first contributions to prac-
teal governmental duties.
The land tax of the new budget is GER
tainl an innovation, for it places tax
on land and provides for q reyaluatiOn as
basis of future taxation. There has
not been q valuation of land in England
since the reign Of William and Mary,
more than two hundred years ago. IN
der William and Mary a small tax, based
on that new valuation, was imposed on
land, but not long thereafter the govern
ment needed ready money for war eX-
penses. and landowners were given the
privilege of forever freeing their land
from taxation by making single money
payment equaling the amount of several
years of tax. Practically all the land
was thus freed from taxation.
What land has paid for the support
of government in England has been
enormous, but it is paid not in the form
&c l,14 Of Srn@ Too ND hn IN
cidence of the burden is not upon the
owner of the land but upon the tenant,
for it is the tenant who pays the ''rates."
Explaining the nature of "rates" in the
current issue of the Saturday Evening
Post, Robert Shackelton says that in the
last fiscal year in England and Wales
alone rates" were collected to the total
amount of three hundred million dollars.
He adds:
there are no rates. If it is occupied by an
owner he himself pays on constructive rem
tai value. Small proprietors find an tax
very severe while large prOprietors find that
they are asked, when asked for anything
at ALL for sums astonishingly light
1t was the desire to make the grcat land
owners begin to pay a share of na ,Onal ex-
pense that led to the introduction in the
Budget of what is called the ''unearned in
crement' clause, under which landowners
were to pay as a tax. on land leased or
sold twenty per cent of it's increased value
over what it was set down as being worth
under the valuation system provided for
by the Budget.
The Lords have done a shreWd thing
in bowling before the tempest and permit
ting the Budget to pass. Another issue,
which has grown out of their rejection of
the Budget when first presented, will
give rise to a fierce contest before the
electorate. 1t will decide whether the
Lords shall preserve or lose the veto
power which they at present possess.
Strange though it may seem, the Eng
lish electorate may not be ready to give
up the bi-cameral system of legislation.
1ne House of Lords has it's virtues as
well as it's defects.