The sun., 1913-11-30
ng To-morrow's Wod-.Land Movement in Great Britain

don barrister. that large areas Of land
which might be with advantage farmed
by desirable tenants willing to pay q
fair market rent are kept back by
owners. who either sit on the property
in the hope of being eventually able 10
hatch higher price. or preserve II for
the purpose Of game or ornament Tor
reasons Of social prestige or sheer
sporting instinct.
The extent Of this retention Of land
is conclusively evidenced by the numer-
Gus applications that flow in for every
farm that is thrown upon the market
and by the frequent abortive endeavors
by actual or would.be small farmers
to obtain at current market rate new
or additional land for agricultural pur-
poses
The evils of this state of affairs are
manifest. Not only are many persons
thus deprived Of the employment which
otherwise they would be enjoying but
this swelling OF the ranks Of the un-
employed. some Of whom remain in the
country and some 60 to the cities. tends
to diminish wages and so far as farm
products are concerned to increase
prices. Poverty. taxation, agriculture
unemployment. housing. the whole
economy of the social system. are af-
fected by the land problem.
The resulting high price Of land In
Great Britain, the unused land which
has been practically untaxed and the
burden upon all industry have caused
serious consideration of the problem.
That something should be done Is
asserted by statesmen as far separated
in political beliefs as Mr.. Balfour AMI
Mr.. Lloyd George.
The unnecessary burden which falls
upon industry by landlordism in the
form Of mining royalties Is another evil
result. Mr.. Lloyd George, the Liberal
Chancellor. estimated It at $40.OO0.OOO
a year. The average amount Of royalty
on iron ore is 60 cents a ton on every
ton brought to the surface. and IS cents
on coal. This IL paid to landlords for
mining royalties in addition to ordinary
lenses or dead rents" in British phrase.
or the coal mines visited ono example
will suffice. A coal mine operating COM
pany fourteen years ago sank the mine
|at an expense Of $2.500.000 and although
as yet no coal has been taken out the
company has paid in mining royalties to
tho Duke of Newcastle more than $780,
900. Nearby IL o quarry from which
the landlord drew $500 for tho clay
extracted.
As in agriculture and in mining. 80 in
the towns for factory and business sites
the land concentration makes for higher
burdens. Some concrete instances
|vouched for by II. r. Stockman. who
has made a study OF the question. will
show the result. 1.-THE obvious creator
of land wealth." said that canny Scotch
man Andrew Carnegie. "is not the in
dividual. but the community" Mr.. Bal
four, In an address In the House of
Commons. said: 1.-THE value Of all
land anywhere, just as the value of a
railway. wherever 1t may be and by
whomsoever 1t was made. by the State
or by private individuals. the value of
this, a. well AZ Of every other kind of
property. depends upon the community"
But to whom does the unearned incre-
ment 60?
In nifty years the ground rent Of the
town Of Burton on Trent increased from
$4,000 to $3b0.000 An absentee owner.
the Marquis Of Anglesey, as landlord re-
ceives this rent. His local taxes or rates
are $500.
Sheffield, one Of the greatest manu-
featuring cities In England. In owned
in greater part by the Duke of Norfolk.
A dry goods merchant IN that city hsl1