Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-18

In the last half century there has been
no disposition to subaivide estates On the
contrary. most Of the changes made have
been IN the direction OF further Increasing
individual holdings and Of retiring aGri-
cultural land from cultivation The situa-
ton has been growing worse steadily from
year to year, and Is. Of course, responsible
for that Agricultural Depression 30 much
depiored by British statesmen and pub
licists
The buiwark Of the land trust IL the Law
Of entail with the principle Of primogeni-
ture. The Law OF entail makes II posaihls
20 settle land upon q child unborn. ard
operates to enable owners 20 transmit
landed estates unbroken and undivided to
future generations. As the land desceuds
20 the oldest son, the division and dispsr-
sion Of the land is prevented. This law
has succeeded In establishing the land
trust almost impreguably, since nearly ell
OF the best Land Of England IL thus en-
tailed and those who own "a have for Eener-
atoms imposed themselves upon the people
/ as the governing clsna" To interfere
with or 20 abrogase the right thus TO traas-
MT landed property Undivided from Een-
Grafton to generation yet unborn, is con-
strued a. an attack upon the institution OF
/ private property. Just such an attack was
made. however. IN the British colony Of
/ Virginia and Il was eruinently successful
Even IL it az. destroy 20 a certain exNeat
the rights Of privats property. IL prevented
in the United States the formation q .
land trust such as now feeda upon the
heart OF England.
| II in England land was divided on tho
death Of the owner among his children. II
] a.. . -.
20p owners Of half the land Of England
would be increased to HOecO. and IN . cen
tury the land would be 20 divided a. to
make impossible that eoheTenes requisite
TO monopoly. In some parts Of the United
States one begins to hear murmuring
against the practice OF buying and holding
large estates by absentee landlords, but
because Of the American land laws these
large estates cannot be entailed. and there
fore soon will break up OF their own weight.
In England land rarely Re sold II h let
TO tenants by the year; II Is leased, for
long or short terms; its uAs is disposed Of
in many ways. but there is seldom an cut
right sale. Sustaining the natural preJu-
dice against parting with land. the Law
makes the transfer Of ownership 20 diffi-
cult and expensive a. to discourage any
general trading in land. Parliament time
and time again has refused the registry Of
deeds, 50 that the title 20 lard alwaya n
, difficult 10 trace. Where sales are made
the tracing Of the title and the sxpeAss
of transfer averages 10 per cent Of tbs
value Of the land, and in many instances
two or three times that amount
: Not only is the peasant farmer forced q
. pay tribute 70 this aIl-embrRcing trust bu
. the industries also are compelled to con
a tribute TO its Golfers. Fer example, TAX
: the Rhondda Valley a coal mining resioI
Il Of South Wales. Sixty years Ag0 the vallel
g I had only Leoa people, now tts population
!. l5s 600 The same landlords, with perhaps
Y minor exception or two. who owned tn
4 land then, own IL now. Then they rOSetve
;, practically nothing from rents; now tha'
= receive S15q.000 a year fr0m ground rent
:, and more han 81 sOol99o a year from roTal
e ties, on the basis OF L cents a ton for IN
e coal taken out The operators OF the COS
Il mines pay all the taxes. which amount I
e S29aO eco q year. When coal was Discovers
there. the landlords refused absolutely .
Is sell and thus they have been reaptnG 20
u many years past an annual harvest Q
n nearly sL2se.008 a year. without papinG
le cent OF taxes. without taking any ripkl
Is without exercising any business fngsnuit
10 or any talent or direction They stmpl
l. own the land and collect the money.
n In one instance in south Wales a mimi
company which makes a profit Of slks0oo
rs year, pays $4,000 4 year rsnt and royalt
Is 30 the landlords and $3.50 q year in take
ID II ever there was q trust in tho UHite
re States which absorbed that much of an
o. particular melon, none OF the mucl
y rakers has as yet discovered IL
d The first real movement In hostility I
"a the Land trust was the Lloyd-George bus
IN get, which imposed certain taxes whiC
as would make the ownership q idle land I
o. burdensome as TO compel It's sale or retuI
n to agricultural uaes. But even that wou
A. not affect 20 any considerable degree q
n farm lands now under cultivation.
NJ YBEDEBzc 2. MA9KIM.
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