Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-03
HISTORIC ESTATE
TO Be SCATTERED
Property of House of Russell in
England Is Doomed to
Auction Sale

LONDON, Sept. 2.-Arnold White,
writing in the Daily Express, says:
When the Duke of Bedford sold the
Thorney estate to the tenants, the sub
stitution of commercialism for personal
relations that had existed for centuries
between the owners and cultivators of
the soil turned out badly for the poor
est men.
Since the Thorney estate was sold
rents of cottages have been raised on
strictly commercial conditions. Cot
tagers are paying in some instances
double and treble the rent under the
commercial system that was exacted
under the kindlier practice of the
feudal tradition. Whether the coun-
try has gained by the transfer of own
ership is a matter Of evidence which
Socialist politicians of the great towns
may yet be called on to take into ac-
count.
The Tavistock properties in Devon
shire, which give a courtesy title to
the heir of the House of Russell, are
also to be sold. The breakup of large
patriarchal estate raises all sorts of
interesting points well worth the con-
sideration of land "reformers," who
are apt to mistake reform for destruc-
ton, to confuse independence with
rudeness, and to combine Valor with
ignorance.
HERANIHI SENDS HEAAIAON
A few weeks ago the whole of the
tenantry on the Bedford estates in
DeVonshire, numbering between 700
and 800 heads of families, sent a petit
ton to the duke asking him to recon-
slider his intention of putting his es-
tates on the market. The dukes
answer was much to the point. He
regretted the severance of ties which
had existed for centuries, but the char
A..
ownership of land on large scale i'm
practicable.
The sale of the Tavistock estates
accordingly has now been decided on
and will be carried out.
Among the many interesting points
affecting the community that come up
for decision is the question of water.
Hitherto the water supply has been in
the hands of the duke and managed by
his agents in the general interest, just
as the government of Egypt manages
the irrigation of the Nile valley not in
the interests of powerful pasnas or
wealthy cultivators, but in the general
interests of the whole community,
pashas and fellaheen alike.
When the sale of the TdYistock
estates is accomplished the urban
council must either acquire their
water supply or submit to the rates,
tariffs and regulations of a water COM
pany, the motive force of which is not
the wise distribution of water in the
general interest, but to get the great
est possible profits in the shortest pos
sible time.
sCHOOLBoUSEs AT AUCTION
The urban council, as local authority
will also be compelled to buy various
buildings which are now occupied in
the public interest at a nominal rent.
There are, for instance, three schools
and masters houses at Tavistock let
to the county council by the blood
sucking duke at the rent of $5 year.
These schools and residences must now
be bought at auction at the market
price. over this transaction the peo-
pie who stand to lose as the result of
Lloyd Georgian legislation, based on
Socialistic' fallacies. will not be the
Duke of Bedford, but the smaller men
m whose interests Socialistic legisla-
tion is ostensibly passed. The smaller
the men the greater the sufferings that
will be inflicted by the superstition of
pure commercialism for ownership by
a great historic house.
OF all the people who will suffer,