Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-18
THE
BRITISH
CRISIS

EngIfshmen. secure i'm their SNUG
complacency, look across the AT
lantic and pity the poor Amerl-
cans engaged in a titanic struggle Win
the trusts. and Enthusiastically give thanks
they are not as the rest of men. But
as a matter of fact a third of the people
of England are hungry because of the
extortion of a trust more powerful and
more wicked than all of the American
monopolies together.
The land trust Is the curse OF England.
since il controls not only practically all
of the land. but also because that con-
troll has the approval of law and custom,
because that trust has permanent ma
jority in the upper chamber or parma
ment and because, owning the lana, IL
controls all of the products or the laho
This trust is not organized on the New
Jersey holding company principle, but II
is none the less a compact and effective
organization. 1t has no president ana
no board of directors but II is none Ihe
less susceptible to the control or the
captains of privilege, and it is bound
together by the strictest of gentlemen's
agreements in an eternal community OF
interests. To utter word in derogatloh
of that trust is to breathe treason against
the state and against all organized CIV
irization, in the estimation of conserVa-
tive Britons. Even the miserable tenant
peasant regards the proposition to cut
Up his lordship's estate as a monstrous
crime.
But ali Britons are not conservative.
The liberal party. now in, power in the
commons, has de-
Liberal Party to termined to attack
this gigantic land
dttdck AIust. monopoly. and, if
possible, to amelorate its evils. An
American observer could not but SYM
pathize with the ardor of the radical
hosts who. in the recent campaign. sang
as rallying song, TO the tune or
Marching Through Georgia. these
words:
found blast for freedom. boys and send it
March along to victory for God is side,
While the voice of Nature thunders Ger the
God made the land for the people,
The land. The land.
Twas $50 God Who Tse f ;sns. the land
The ground on which stand.
Why should be beggars with the ballot IN
God gave the land to the people,
1t is true that some good Americans
might have been shocked to see the por-
trait of their compatriot, Henry George,
on the back of the song book. but 1t is
possible. that even they would think more
uf a certain plan or progress III tHeS
had been brought face to face with GER
tain variety of poverty.
-
The burden of the land trust in Eng
land falls heavily upon both city and
country dweller, but
Burden Upon the for the purpose of
Rural Districts. Illustration m 1t will
suffice to consider
the situation in the rural districts. Eng
land and Wales. with total population
of about $1,000 900. have eight millions
of people living in the country. The
land cultivated by these eight million
people produces considerably more than
does any similar acreage in the United
States, showing that the farmers are
thrifty and industrious husbandmen.
OF the S.O0.0f0 about $1,000 own the |
farms which they till. All of the rest
acres, is owned by about 10000 land
lords and the greater part is owned by
fewer than 5000 landlords, many of
them being peers and members of the
house of lords. In other words. 992
per cent of the farmers of England are
tenants. If that condition prevailed in
the United States there might be song
books there with Henry Georges picture
on the back
When the further fact that these ten
ants pay all of the taxes on this land
and that the owners pay none whatever.
is taken into consideration, then ope
can form some idea of how onerous is
the burden of rents which these tenant
farmers must pay to support the idle
landlords in that particular style of lux
ury attaching to English country life"
In the time of Queen Elizabeth cot
tagers were compelled to own at least
four acres CT land to support each house
At the end of the seventeenth century
there were 100000 land-holding peasants
In England. At the beginning of the nine
teenth century there were more than
twice as many land-owning farmers as
there are today, and there was a vast |
amount Of common land" which was |
used and enjoyed by the community in
general. In the first half of the nine !
teerth century. when 80 land owners |
returned fro:1 rotten boroughs a majority |
of the house of commons, this common |
land was Enclosed" and became private |
property. the most of it going TO enlarge |
the estates Of the peers and other gentry.