New-York tribune., 1912-02-12
SOCIAL REFORM
What 1t Costs-What Bankers
Think of It. ra4,,
London. January q.

| The Chanceilors refreshing Irult Tor
parched lips is as costly as the luxurious
feasts OF Cleopatra and the Roman en-
rerors, when Jewels were dissolved In
wine and delicacies from the worlds end
were served on rose leaves. Taxpayers
have to bear the burden Of those social
reforms which are bringing in the new
heavens and the new EARTH and it Is
heavier than the war toll OF the Ma
pcleonic period. Every progressive
scheme requires fresh horde Of officials
and sends up the expenditures by leaps
and bounds. Mr.. J. S. Rub!nstein has.
been making some interesting calcuia-.
tions based upon the financial votes
sanctioned by Parliament. and he has
discovered that between 1894 and 1910
the salaries and expenses Of government
officials have increased from $50, 725.0o0
TO s21oOO0000 annually. This estimate
does not include the cost Of the labor ex-
changes and the revaiuation Of the land;
and the expense Of the national system
OF insurance, which Is to go into effect
In July, is mainly conjectural. The bur-
dens of ornaments are riyalled By the
exorbitant expenditures OF officialdom
One costly barrack after another Is built
In Whitehall for new brigades Of clerks
and inspectors, and the national expendi.
lures have reached stage of extrava-
gance that Is appalling TO oldtime econ
omists,
What would that apostle of individual.
ism, Herbert Spencer, have thought OF
the expenditure of $1,S70,000 on a new
Domesday Book with the collection of
100000 as a meagre offset? Or what
would Richard Golden. the national bag
man, who considered that the world was
governed too much have said about an
official return of the Board OF Trade
showing that over $4,000 candidates,
applicaticrs had been received In con,
nection with the labor exchanges and
unemployment insurance? Lord CaIrrs'
questioned the utility OF land transfer
acts, and condemned the proposal for
the establishment OF branch registries
when the central office was avoided by
landowners as unworthy Of confidence.
How amazed he would be over the de-
liberate department plan Of having
branch registry in every country, with
swarm OF officials. Gladstone had
phenomenal talent for constructive legis-
lation, and was conspicuous for mastery
of figures and details. Would he not
have confessed his helplessness il he had
been required to explain the pracHrat
operation of measure like the inslr-
ance bill, with its provisions for reorsan-.
izing the friendly societies, creating a.
national medical service and supervising
the stamping and collection OF 100000
cards? The magnitude and complexIty
of these social reformers compel officials
! 10 chatter about millions OF rIsGs and
benefits; and naturally there must be
fresh multitudes OF civil servants under
pay. II anything is to De done with the
system
More than one-half Of the land IN Ire
land has passed into the possession .es
tensn nts and small owners through. the
| operation of the wyndham act. and thee
remnant might be readily financed Il:
agitators were not warned that the coui-:
plete resettlement of the population on
it's own soil would interfere with politi-
cal objects. This has been an immense
undertaking, involving enormous use OF
public credit, but it is beggarly enter
prise I'm comparison with the purchase OF
| ~, nS Aernntarz
and agricultural laborers' small hold
ings. Allotmsnts and agricultural hold
ings measures have been enacted In rapid
succession for the purpose Of multiply
ing small owners and sending back TO.
the land unemployed workers in 4 tho.
towns, and now there are fresh preporr
sails for the establishment OF land banks
with capital supplied by the state and
with resources for financing the pur-
chase Of small properties on the install
ment plan. with agreements covering
seventy-five years Advanced radicals
consider that these recommendations %
not go far enough and talk glibly about
the good time coming wher under Mt.
Lloyd Georges leadership the railways
of the kingdom will be purchased ana
operated for the public good and COM
plete system Of land NATURALIZATION tf.'
troduced in conformity with the teschss, !.
ings Of Henry George. lsa ~
Ministers obsessed with vlewy schemes :.
of social reform, the continuous recruit
ing OF hordes Of officials, and exerbitans
and oppressive taxation Of investors ana
capitalists are characteristic features of
England under Radical rule. The cost
may easily be counted when consolS
which were once gilt-edged seeurifiss
among nations, go begging at q and may
fall into the sixties or fifties II eNraVa-
CANT expenditures are doubled and tresn
blocks of social reforms are financed oS
increased levies on the haves for the
benefit Of the have-nots. The bank presi-
dents understand the seriousness OF tnea7
situation when, according TO Lord 81
Aldwyn, nine of the largest institutions or
have been forced TO write off f6,2so.oos1 =,
since 1903 In consequence OF the deproc''
alton of securities. Sir Felix schustes'
ord Goschen and Mr.. Maurice .. tltz-
gerald are experienced bankers VINO
command the confidence of the business
community and they agree that the de-
cline of consols and other high class Sc
curities has become serious nationsi
question and that with the country rush-
ing headlong toward a yearly budget OK
goo 100000 the future of British IN
dustry and finance is a matter OF ITO u.