Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-24

assessments are made at frequent inter-
walls and where, In most of the states, the
land survey is kept continually running.
this proposal for an assessment may not
seem to be terrible thing But here the
landlords, especially the peers who hold
the great estates. regard such a survey as
a most dangerous approach to Socialism.
Their fears are pot altogether without
foundation, for there is a considerable
party in England which favors the nation
allzation of all the land The Lloyd George
scheme Of taxation. although now very
light would yield, as the chancellor says,
a constantly increasing revenue and would
make the ownership OF unimproved land
and Of large quantities of land, increas-
ingly burdensome In other words, the
budget proposes a land tax based upon
the theory of the single tax, as expounded
by Henry George.
The charge made by the conservatives
that this is the single tax, and that It
inspired by Henry George, and that II
aims at the breaking up Of large holdings
is not denied by the liberals Many liberal
candidates for Parliament have bodily pro-
claimed their faith in Henry George and
the doctrine that the land ought to be
owned by the nation. All of them de-
clared that a tax on improvements and
industry is wrong, and that a tax on the
idler who does nothing to improve his
property but waits for the community to
add to its value and to his wealth. is
right
Next to the posters, the most remarkable
feature Of the campaign is the universal
singing, by liberals, OF "The Land Song"
1t is set to the stirring air of Marching
~ ,F ft
Sound a blast for Freedom, boys and
send it far and widel
March along to Victory, for God is on our
side;
While the voice of Nature thunders DER
the rising tide
God made the land for the people!
The land! the landl
Twas God who gave the land!
The landl the landl
The ground on which we standl
in our hand?
God gave the land to the peoplel
This song was distributed in sheet music
form and every copy bore on the back
a portrait of an American-Henry George,
the single taxer.
The opposition all through the campaign
worked to divert attention from the land
question and the budget by attacking the
liberal policy on the navy, by predicting
war with Germany, and by offering tariff
reform as means for getting revenue
and protection as means of making Jobs
for the unemployed. This led to the liberal
retort that the peers wanted to tax the
poor mans loaf instead OF their own land
Some of the landlords were unwise enough
to declare that the new land taxes were
so onerous that they must cut off their
subscriptions to charities and the like.
This course Of action was condemned even
by the tory leaders.
Another feature of the budget which had
a powerful effect in the campaign. al
though before the election returns are all in
no one can estimate how much is the new
taxes on the liquor trade. The budget pro-
vided for heavy increases in license taxes,
especially on the brewers. This forced a
partnership of the peerage and the beer
age" and was productive of much of the
scandal which disgraced the conduct of the
campaign.
Lloyd-George and other leaders of his
ilk. who are working strenuously for social
reform, are inclined to be severe on the
liquor traffic as it is carried on in this
country. There is nothing approaching the
prohibition movement as 1t is known in
parts of the United States, but there is
a distinct public opinion in favor of
higher license and more strict regulations.
One Of the latter is that children under
II shall not be permitted in public houses.
This regulation has created a very furore
of protest in some quarters and no doubt
lost many votes to the liberals. The budget
did not contain an education bill, such as
was passed by the liberal house and re-
Jected by the lords, but 1t hinted at
system of schools which would be free
%
This brought many churchmen into the
fight.
The result of the Lloyd George budget
was, first the dissolution of the Parlla-
ment by the action of the lords; second,
the arraying of the Kingdom into two
political camps-one composed of the peers,
the land owners, the churchmen, the liquor
trade and those conservatives who fear the
red flag of socialism; the other containing
the liberals, the ''progressives," the social
lists and the laborites This division of
the people is in more or less permanent
form, and upon the Parliament now chosen
rests the burden of choosing between land
taxation and tariff reform-in either case.
a radical departure from the accepted fiscal
policy of Great Britain.
By FREDER1C J. KAsK1N.
TomorrOw-The English Elections-Tha
Eeckling 'Voioe."
Duhuoue State's Attornav CbarIas w