Oxford eagle., 1913-12-11


plans to do more Let well enough
alone no longer satisfies. much less
let bad alone. lest the change bring
worse"
National Ownership Makes Hesdway.
Three general plans OF land reform
have been seriously considered. and
each. to a 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. III the time
comes when the British nation finds
that the land should be natlonalized.
and IA is wise to do II. they have a
perfect right to do so" Nationaliza-
tion. which means tho ownership BY
all the people Of all the land. is open
ly talked. Indeed. II Is put into prac-
tical 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 conhseation by the state Of eco
nomic rent" has many strong advo
Gates Rent being a value created by
the whole community. 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 confscate not
the land to the state. but the rent
Compulsory Sale and Leasing.
Another form Of laqd 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
by compulsory leasing are
other plans actually pursued Under
these schemes the landlord Is com
pelled to sell or lease small acreages
FOR actual farm use. Land hire by the
state and land purchase are involved
10 this general scheme. A more dras- |
.ic measure has just been proposed by /
Mr.. WIN Thorne on the house OF com
mons. Under the Thorne bill II would |
'e Illegal for any person TO hold. in az
'icultural districts. any land. exceed
ng hfty acres in extent. in a waste or
state. unless IL shall not
q possible TO cultivate such land at .
roht. or unless IL shall have been
evoted TO some purpose OF public
tility.
"A Tar TO Burst Land Moncpoly.-
The real attack upon the evils OF the
resent land ownership. the one about
hich the fercest contention has tn
en- place. is that in Loyd-George's I
ldget Of taxation Many forms Of
nd taxation have been proposed.
'nsidered and. occasionally. adopted
and value taxation. in some form. en-
rs into discussion everywhere. This
~ land taxation. however. recently
Irried into effect By the Liberal gov
'nment. is not a tax to raise revenue.
IT, to quote the pungent phrase Of Z
Ie chancellor OF the exchequer in pro- {
1sing II. "A tax to burst the land I
This new system OF taxa q
on included ave per cent duty on
lining royalties. a taxation Of gifts OF
ature or windfalls- II included a tax
n the capital value OF unxorked min
rails. thus stimulating the exploitation
mines hitherto unwcrked. The inn
ortant principles OF the new taxation.
oweyer, are involved in the tncre
tent tax. the tax on undeveloped
uilding land and on leasehold rever-
ons- Under these sections two tar
alues are placed on land, the site
alue and the improved value. The
.ndency OF the tax. as shown by its
ctuai workings. IS TO bring more
land into the market, thus
elieving congestion in the cities and
he country.
Under the system OF long lease
olds. which is peculiar to Great Brt-
ain. the owner of the freehold OBJ
aims. on the expiration OF the lease
g falling in" to employ an English
hrase--a property which has sub
tantially increased in value by reason
4 the general growth OF the commun-
ty and independently of any expendi-
ure OF labor or enterprise on the part
" the owner"
The budget Ievies ten per cent duty
ipon the margin by which the lease
iold has appreciated since it was last /
granted. Agricultural leases are az
smpt from this duty, as are all leases |
made within the last twenty-one years-
20 Per Cent. Increment Duty.
Founded on the same principle
pointed out Mr.. Horace b. Samuel. in
this effort to burst the land
lis the actual increment
duty itself. This is a duty OF 20 per
cent. levied at death, on transfer, or
at intervals OF fifteen years (about the
average period at which all land in the
United Kingdom. through one cause
or another. changes handsl on the ac-
tual site value" Supplementary to
these novel forms OF taxatiOn-regard-
ed by many in Great Britain as revolu-
a provision for a universal
valuation Of all the land affected.
How far this new taxation will
break UP the land monopoly and make
over the United Kingdom 1t is too
early to predict It appears to be the
entering wedge for larger advance.
We are marching on" said Lloyd
George We are just beginning to
march on to attack the very center
Of all the social evil. the land monop-
oily"
The organization OF opportunity for
all, Is the program of the British dem
oeracy today. To this end. monopoly
OF ownership of land. which limits op-
portunity TO the few. must in some
way be abolished To this high task
does Great Britain address herself.
The result is on the knees of the gods
tcopyrisht. 1914 by Joseph B. Bowles-)
Banner Has a History.
An historic banner has been pre-
sented to the Clackmannan (Scot-
landl county council. The gift In