Evening star., 1912-07-21
UNREST IN ENGLAND
Roses for King, Rags for
Workingman's Child.
PERPETUAL FAMINE EXISTS
Thousands Starving in Big Cities Of
Kingdom. /
CLASS WAR GROWING BITTER
Lloyd Georges Land Tax Plan Hor-
rifles Tory Press-How Land
lords Bleed Tenants. Z
PERPETUAL FAMINE EXISTS
CLASS WAR GROWING BITTER
BY PHILLIP EVERETT.

Special Cahlesram 60 Tie Star
LONDON. July O.-In no country social
war between the upper and lower classes
Is being waged with moro persistent Bit
terness today than in England. and tho
unbiased correspondent is bound to admit
that in no country IN Europe Is such q
war more justified than here.
On the front page OF a leading London
conservative daily paper / read a few
days ago first the glaring head lines: The
King visits Music Hall-S.ooo.ooo of
Roses Used to Decorate the Interior Of
the Palace
A little further down on the same page
another set OF head lines. comparatively
small besides those containing the mcrs
important announcement catches my
eye: Starvation in the East End-Baby
Brought to Church for Christening Wrap.
ped in Brown Paper"
The head lines contain a scathing ar
raIgnment OF social conditions in Eng-
land: Three million roses 10 please tho
eyes Of the king-a piece of coarse brown
wrapping paper to cover the nakedness OF
a workingman's baby,
In any other country in Europe such
conditions would produce a revolution: in
England they simply cause unrest The
slow working minds of tie English ma sses
are gradually discovering that everything
is not exactly as II ought TO be. and that
even the knowledge OF living In a COM
munity which can afford to waste millions
on decorations and old-fashoned cere-
monies in honor OF good King George
cannot make you overlook that thousands
of people whose lives are at least as val
uable as that OF the king starre TO death
in England every year.
The outside world hears time and again
that England is sen ling money abroad 10
relieve famines I'm other countries, but
little is heard OF the continuous famine
which is the constant scourge Of Eng
lands own great cities.
The present liberal sovernment probably
means well enough, and its legislation,
nearly all inspired by Mr.. Lloyd George.
seems to go In the right direction. but 1t
is doubtful whether IL will be able TO sav6
the country from a mighty social upteaval
such as must come as surely as there
are limits even to the patience OF the
English masses.
In the first place the liberal party sup
porting the government contains a num-
ber of men on its right wing who in any
other country hut England would be
called conservative. s.nd I'm the second
place the power OF t:ls conservative party
proper. the tories, is .-iormous. and their
agitation against democratic reforms 80
violent that IL is doubtful IL the govern
ment will be allowed to remain in power
forms as will convince even the dull
masses Of English voters that they must
look to the liberals and not to the tories
TO save them from their present state OF
bondage.
Lloyd George is going to tax the land.
He Is going TO try in practice on a large
scale for the first time the principles
championed by the American. Henry
George. There is no longer any douot
about it. and cry of horror is hesrd
In the whole English conservative press.
which on general principles triss 10
block every change.
The chancellor Of the excheauer Will ruin
the country they cry. he is preaching
class war and creating anarchists IN
England. where present conditions are
nearer the ideal than anywhere else IN
the world,
The plans Of Lloyd George are striking
at the very heart OF English conserva-
tism, that much is evident from the up-
roar they have caused The land is
sacred and are its present possessors,
according 10 the tenets of the conserya-
tive faith.
One single example. however. will show
how radically wrong are the present con-
ditions i'm England where all land IL
owned by mere handful OF people. The
manor of Huddersfeld was sold by the
crown to certain William Ramsden
ancestor of the present owner, in 1899 for
$3.50.
Three hundred years ago the yearly
value of Huddersfieid was less than Sla,.
Now the yearly ground rerts amount TO
no less than S9GO.GO0 The whole o. the
land i'm the old township Of Huddersfield.
with the exception of a small plot ia
Firth street. long since belt over. Is the
property of Mr.. Jchn F. Ramsden, who
thus possesses practical monopois ol
the land. so that man who wants TO
buy a plot in the township 10. mouse
cannc. do so, but must lease Al from the
owner. In consequence n more giar'ng
example Of land hunger exists in the
country.
1t is significant that up to the time
when the finance act OF 1gU9-lD was placed
on the statute books the estate was held
by Sir John Ramsden, who Is still liN-
ing. After the passing Of the act the
estate was transferred by Sdr John 10
Up TO 1851 Huddersfield was almost
wholly 81 agricultural town: its rise. as
the world knows being due 10 the woolen
industry.
In order TO appreciate the present si:ua-
ton il Is necessary that the lease system
in vogue should be understood. Until the
middle of the last century the land upon
which most of the buildings In the town
were erected was held either under ten
ancies at will or renewable leases. In
the case OF the former the tenants had
in most cases erected substantial build
ings upon the faith that their rights 10
those buildings would be recognized by
in copyhold manors the rights of tenants
are recognized and enforceable.
These tenant rights owners were des-
tined to receive rude awakening. for
about 1850 the court OF final appeal de-
cided that they We're merely tenants at
will. who could be elected without notice
or compensation. Ultimately. after long
and bitter agitation. an arrangement was
made that the landlords title should be
recognized. and that the tenants should
surrender their tenant right interests. but
retain their buildings on lease from lSja.
An act OF parliament vas obtained for
this purpose.
The town OF Huddersfeld today has
population of 1lO,O05 and every incn OF
soil upon which il stands is owned BY }.
F. Ramsden, who in the form Of ground
rent levies upon il yearly tribute so
regulated that every man, woman and
child pays to him an average tax Of 81.
The municipal budget last year was
f1I44oJ, so that the landowners tax
is actually S2I,SI5 in excess OF the sum
demanded for municipal services.
Small wonder the tory party, repre-
senting the big landowners. considers IL
q crime to suggest any change in con-
d;tions so ideal TO the one man who
counts in their eyes, and who is paying
a mere nominal tax to the government
until the new valuation of land will come
into force.