Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-12-18


should be, the policeman and the part
ted Kingdom doing something and
plans to do more. Let well enough
alone" no longer satisfies, much less
'let bad alone, lest the change bring
worse"
National Ownership Makes Headway.
Three general plans of land reform
have been seriously considered, and
each, to degree, has been adopted.
The three plans are naturalization
of the land, the small holdings policy,
and taxation. Twenty years ago the
great Gladstone said: IF the time
comes when the British nation finds
that the land should be nationalized.
and it is wise to do 1t, they have
perfect right to do So" Nationalist
ton, which means the ownership by
all the people of all the land, is open
ly talked. Indeed, 1t is put into prac-
teal effect to a degree in government
purchase and ownership In the land
purchase acts. That striking form OF
naturalization known as the single
tax, which "prides itself on being ef-
fected without compensation and by
the confiscation by the state OF eco
nomic rent" has many strong advo-
Gates. Rent being value created by
| the whole conmaatty, say its support.
ers, should belong to the whole COM
munity. All economic rent, the rent
OF the actual land apart from the i'm
proyements, is unearned increment.
| The single takers would confiscate not
the land to the state. but the rent.
Compulsory Sale and Leasing.
Another form of land naturalization
is considered, though not seriously.
This involves the taking over Of all
the land by the state, with compensa-
ton to the landlord. Small holdings
by compulsory purchases and small
holdings by compulsory leasing are
other plans actually pursued. Under
| these schemes the landlord is com.
! PEELED to sell or lease small acreages
for actual farm use. Land hire by the
state and land purchase are involved
In this general scheme. A more dras-
tic measure has just been proposed by
Mr.. viii Thorne on the house Of COM
mons. Under the Thorne bill it would
be illegal for any person to hold, in ag-
ricultural districts, any land, exceed
ing fifty acres in extent, in a waste or
uncultivated state, unless it shall not
be possible to cultivate such land at a
profit, ,1or unless 1t shall have been
devoted to some purpose of public
4 utility.
"a Tax to Burst Land Monopoly"
The real attack upon the evils of the
present land ownership, the one about
which the fiercest contention has Ia
ken place, is that in Lloyd-George's
budget of taxation. Many forms OF
land taxation have been proposed.
considered and, occasionally. adopted.
Land value taxation. in some form. en-
tiers into discussion everywhere. This
new land taxation. however, recently
carried into effect by the Liberal gov
eminent, is not a tax to raise revenue.
but, to quote the pungent phrase Of
the chancellor of the exchequer In pro-
posing 1t, "a tax to burst the land
monopoly" This new system Of taxa
ton included five per cent duty on
mining royalties, taxation OF gifts Of
nature or wlndfalls. 1t included tax
on the capital value of unworked min
erals, thus stimulating the exploitation
Of mines hitherto unworked. The i'm
portant principles of the new taxation.
however, are involved in thee mere
| fov hn IN
building land and on leasehold reyer-
sions. Under these sections two tax
values are placed on land, the site
value and the improved value. The
tendency of the tax, as shown by its
actual workings, Is to bring more
building land into the market, thus
relieving congestion in the cities and
the country.
Under the system of long lease
holds, which is peculiar to Great Bril-
tain, the owner of the freehold OBJ
tains, on the expiration OF the lease
its falling In" to employ an English
phrase-.a property which has sub
stantially increased in value by reason
of the general growth of the commun-
ity and independently Of any expeudi-
ture of labor or enterprise on the part
of the owner"
The budget levies ten per cent duty
upon the margin by which the lease
hold has appreciated since 1t was last
granted. Agricultural leases are ex.
empt from this duty, as are all lease&
made within the last twenty-one years.
20 Per Cent. increment Duty.
Founded on the same principle
pointed out Mr.. Horace B. Samuel, In
discussing this effort to burst the land
monopoly, sis the actual increment
duty itself. This Is a duty OF 90 per
cent, levied at death, on transfer. or
at intervals of fifteen years (abont Inc
average period at which all land In the
! United Kingdom, through one cause
or another. changes hands) on the &C
tual site value" Supplementary to
these novel forms of taxation-regasd-
ed by many in Great Britain as revclu-
tionary--is a provision for universal
valuation Of all the land affected.
How far this new taxation viii
break up the land monopoly and make
over the United Kingdom 1t Is TOO
early to predict 1t appears to be The
entering wedge for larger advance.
I'VE are marching on" said Lloyd
George. I'VE are just beginning to
march on to attack the very center
of all the social evil, the land monop'
oily"
The organization Of opportunity foi
all, is the program of the British dom.
ocracy today. To this end, monopoly
of ownership of land. which limits OPP
/. portunity to the few. must In some
way be abolished. To this high t,lsk
does Great Britain Address herself
The result is on the knees OF the gcds.
copyright. 1913. by Joseph il. Bowles)
/ Banner Has a History.