Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-12
SAYS NEWARK IS
IN NEED OF NEW
TAX LAW REFORM
William E. Hicks Lectures on
England's Political Fight and
Lesson 1t Teaches Here.

Interesting facts relative to the pro-
posed new tax laws of England and
the importance of their enactment to
the people OF Newark were CLEANED
from a talk by William Everett Hicks,
of New York. before the Mems Club of
st. Stephens Episcopal Church last
night. Land values in England at the
present day and the ihsignifican
amounts of taxes that are paid by the
lords and the aristocracy formed the
basis of the talk.
by the new tax laws which the
Liberal party of England will have en-
acted if placed in power at the coming
elections" began Mr.. Hicks, "the lands
will be taxed at their valuation. which
has not been done in the past two hun.
bred years. The landlords have been
paying assessments on the valuation
placed there then. Notwithstanding the
fact that the values have increased by
thousands of pounds since then. 1t is
the hope and the expectation of those
carrying on the budget fight, which, by
the way. is being financed by an Amer
lean millionaire. to have the new laws
passed which provide for three distinct
valuations, the gross value. the sight
saidC LII lit lpidl Value flnt iaLNtl
is the amount at which the property
will be taxed, minus the public rights
of way and other rights through the
property.
"Socialistic is the term applied to the
bill by the House of Lords, because en-
bodied in it there are four provisions
which strike directly at the privileges
at present enjoyed by them. Persons
10 fI,{p oo.,ofrv =, n = o1a,-aa - H. .,aa
nifcent army and navy equipment of
England and then say Why, they must
be prosperous over there but they are
far from 1t. While the aristocracy are
living In case and wealth the common
mass is reduced to poverty and crime
that is beyond comprehension.
"A peculiar condition that will in
time, beyond the shaduw Of Gtubt, BIZ
the cause of it's downfall. exists in
England at the present day. II you
are a common business man YOU can
not sit and mingle among the select
class but you can own as many in
dustries as you like and they will cater
to our whims and ~fancies. Lloyd
George, who in 1901, in an anti-war
speech characterized the Boer war as
an unjust war is prominent in this
'DduSVt uSHt dlu lilS is the KIM OF q
man that the 'highbrows' are fighting.
Great has been the 'hurrah' that
has been made over the Irish land
question, but those well versed on the
subject will tell o without the Slight
est hesitation that this is but a drop
In the bucket compared to the land
question in this country and in Eng
land. The plan in this, your own coun-
try, Is far from being perfect; it is
not what could be called a democratic
plan. To my mine the present plan If
taxation is responsible for the huge
combinations and corporations that
nave sprung up here during the past
few years. The city of London is
owned completely by seven persons
while the great island of Manhattan is
owned by $4,000 and will in time. if
present conditions continue to exist, be
controlled by a few
THE value of land is not created by
the landlords, but by the great mass of
people. Every reform, like the free
tariff, woman suffrage and anything of
the sort bent on making life worth the
living, adds to the value of land. Every
tunnel, subway and street car adds to
the enormous profits of the landlords.
Although 0 may think so your own
city of Newark is no better off than
any other city and when the reform
strike it will come with a VEN
geance.'