Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-16
Land Reform In ENGLAND

The biggest of all reforms is now before England.
Land reform has relieved economic evils and popular
suffering in Ireland and Scotland. The need for it is
still greater in England. The feudal tenure system
has survived in more entirety there than even In
Prussia. It has held a larger proportion OF fertile
land IN waste and luxury than in any country on the
Continent but Russia. 1t has perpetrated a kind Of
s;ridom in its absolute control of great estates and
oppressive mastery over tenant occupation and rent.
MY. Lloyd George, chancellor OF the excheQuer,
has prepared a comprehensive plan Of parliamentary
land reform that is approved by the Liberal govern
ment. He has been putting 1t before the people OF
England in fiery speeches. 1t is going to divide them
from the landholding oligarchy that used to govern
and still holds them in economic thrall. It will prob
ably command public attention in England more pro-
foundry and longer than any of the thronging popular
reforms of the last ten years.
The project, big and complex in all its details, Is
to be administered by a new ministry of lands. This
is to have judicial power and is to supervise and
control tenant occupation, rents and wages, and re-
demption of neglected or waste land, whether held
for sport or luxury, or wanting reclamation to make
it productive. The fundamental purpose is to restore
to the people the primitive service OF the land, which
was abolished centuries ago where feudalism spread.
and is now restored in most civilized countries.
Briefly, the new ministry of lands is to put the
relation between landlord and tenant on a basis OF
justice, instead Of superior will or whim. Tenure
is to continue with good behavior, eviction to be sup
pressed except for good cause, and tenant improve
ment encouraged by a proprietary interest, instead OF
punished by loss or raise of rent.
Then the ministry is to have. power to make a
judicial scale OF rent, in equal justice to landlord,
tenant and laborer, whose living wage has been held
down by excessive rentals. Hours Of labor, housing
and purchase and sale without disturbing tenancy fall
under the same jurisdiction.
Last and biggest OF all, the plan includes the just
conversion to cultivation Of lands held for idle luxury
or sport productive only of delicate food for the rich.
II this cannot be done under private ownership,
Lloyd George hints at a resort to land naturalization
where needful. This resort will be made first to
waste or neglected lands for aforestation or fertiliza-
ton to increase the total area for production and offer
homes in England to the emigrating swarms.
The spirit of the great reform is to convert the
fertile soil of England from luxury to service, to sup
port on it industry instead Of idleness. to pasture on
1t human beings instead OF game, hounds and horses,
to make 1t yield homes instead OF forcing the people
to seek them in distant colonies, and to produce
food instead Of bringing it from the ends Of the world.
It is better service to England than old age pensions.
The only real help Is opening to self-help.-Washin:
ton Star.