New-York tribune., 1911-03-19
RELIEF FOR LORDS
Sale of Estates-Art Treasures
for America.
London. March 4.

,r.o .,ooliro nm of landed estates ~
one Of the new features oi soc'a' r''e
land. Old Tory squires ana the'f po
litical partisans hold the RadIcai a."
ministration responsible Tor the '''''.
age of the possessions oi the 'd"''
oentry They assert that the beauty "'
the great estates has been impa'reu y,
the multiplication Of allottnch'S ~
small holdings: that the landowners nav
cea sed TO improve their properties anu ~
take proper pride i'm them that SAFES ",e
forced by the death duties ana iili'e'
tance taxes and that the new hnp''''
and valuations ordered by the sociallStc
Chancellor of the Exchequer have oecon'e
intolerable burdens. The causes may oo
contentious but the general eiiect Is i"
d,sputable. The Duke of Sutherlanu an"
other landholders are selling theh SUI
Mus acres OH a large scale. The move
ment has become general III the Engiis"
shires Tenant farmers are receiving ho-
tice to quit. although they have pee"
prompt I'm paving rent ana specuIa'Ne
svudicatas are acquiring by purchase
large tracts. with the privilege ol raising
rents and changing tenants at pleasure
The willingness of titled and other
landowners 10 bring their Estates abrupt
" into market is explained without po-
liticaI bias b the prices Nhich are IT,
ceived. So long as agricultural lahd r.
NAMED in the possession oi ian'ii'es
which had held ii for generations therc
was general depression and valuations
had Uniform trend downward lne
breaking NJ Of the big estates has been
! followed ny . rise Of prices. Land Is
selling well wherever it is offered ana
especially in the midland and eastern
! counties Tory partisans arc reluctant
/ 10 admit it, because they have been con
; tonding since tic famous budget was IN
troducod that tho landlords would be
ruined by ;hc now taxes: and yet inc
owners themselves. who ar disposinG o.
| their property adyantaecouslN. arc not
croakinp about the burdens of land own
! ing. but are seeking 10 redssure purchas-
ere by asserting that the feeling ol dls-
tlust and alarm has been exaggerated
| Tho tenan, farmers who suddenly ma
themselves dispossessed II their homes
aud lands ami compelled 10 make terms
with the purchasers, have serious eriev-
ancos. rs much legislation may he r"-
quired tor them in future as has been
enacted for tho Irish tenantry The /
landholdcrs themselves are ia the way OF
improving their condition. II the land
boon. be unchecked unromunerative es-
tdtos viii bc disposed OF old mortgages
paid up ana capital reinN estcd prohtably.
II ie an unexpected surprise that tho
tenant farmers. for whom both political
parties have been anxious 10 lcgislate. /
should be the principal sufferers from
what is described as the land boom. 9th
erUise the increased domlnd FOR farms
at higher rents aud the rise in land
prices are signs that til Agricultural /
outlook has improved and that with the /
cal. OF large estates and the multiplica- !
ton Of owners there viii be more sys-
] 1, matte tillage and . development of
British food supplies. The tilted class I
ana the Tory suuircs will be immea sur ?
ably better off when their estates are
heavily reduced and their mortgage
debts paid and when their surplus prn-
cipal H. rcinvest"d Many Of them who
are now Impoverished hv their landed
possessions may I've 90 alter their views
rCsptcting tn wickcdncs, and folly Of
Irresponsible Radicalism. II the land
sales continue on large scale the
face of rural England will speedily be F.
changed tn" stately parks and pict-
urosut, cove'ts Tor phoasants will be- in
yaded. the broad prospects of verdant ,
meadow and Woodland win be broken /
with fresh areas OF tilla2o. and tn" pres /
tiec and influence "f the halls and manor +
houses viii BE- impaired. Rural England
win iosc much 81 lis natural lovclincss F
and perfection of finish with the shrink
age and disapp, Of the great es
tdtcs II may regain something of its
oldtime industry ana prosperity.
Not only are lands which have been .
ancestral possessions for hundreds of 1.
cars sold I'm Tie open market 10 spccu
lajors and improvement societies. but
houses and medieval halls aIt going also
Tho pr6ssur, of the death duties super.
taxes. Increment l,yies and other direct
fnposts Is oXhaustiuS thc resources OF
some Of tho oldest ;iied families. After
each sue, ossion To- title the land has 10
be mortGagcd or the principal reduced
for paymentl of the Inheritance taxes.
ard after each Radical budget is cuacted
.Cturns arc made on fictitious incomes
ard siipprtaNos are cXtorted op receipts
which arc purely Hypothetical. II is not
strange that some of the oVorburdcncd
ICers ar" turning for relief Ia America.
where tl'i. is q rising market for mas
terpiccos from tho English countr,
trait. another time il is Rembrandt
landscape or q Gainsborough group. ard
tomorrow il Nill b" - priceless sc' ot
Gobcln tauc~triss. we arc land poor"
say tho patricians. and Impoverished 10y
tho expense of Keeping NJ costly houses
and managing estates on philauthropic
PRINCIPLES The rich Americans can help
us out by buying our art treasures"
This resource has not been anticipated
10y Radical legislation. Mr. Lloyd -';oorgr
has not devised scheme of yaluat ION ~
the art treasures of the United Kingdom