The Washington times., 1914-05-02
By JAMES CREELMAN.
Copyright. 1914. by Ja.n~s creeIman.D

Of progressive democracy that has
taEsn possession OF the country
On, Tor way to get I'd OF the
gray-eyed. smiling little Welsh
demon who sits at the head OF the
Imperial treasury panning new
taxes on wealth and land: who puts
evil ideas OF social justice into the
prime minister and all the rest Of
the cabinet and who has bewitched
the once humble and couteuted
British people until they no longer
reverence or respect orthodoxy or
the nobility and upper classes.
Leesehold Property.
King George? Alas. his ma jesty
mtist keep silent and Pretend to be
cheerful while his ministers stand
before the toiling muItitudes and de-
ride the naughty pretensions Of the
peers and the sacred ''oid families
To understand the extraordinary
Lature of the impending British re-
ferns one must remember that at
least two-thirds OF the real estate
OF Great Britain is leasehold prop
erty. 1t Is said that one-third Of
the soil of England belongs to the.
house of lords Ten men own q
quarter of the land OF the great
city or London and q number of
private individuals own wkoie towns
The landed families rarely sell the
freehold Of their possessions. for
se' nsere Is mighty yqlitical power and
social primacy inseparable from
landlordism in sucn a small al
densely populated country. and u
tenants must beware how they dis
please the owners of the ground be-
heath their feet.
Immense territories are given over
to wildwood cover for phea sants
hares and deer in a country that has
70 import large part of its food
agriculture and forestry are subor-
0inated in order that the privileged
Few may enjoy some days shooting
every year.
The GameAeeper.
Lloyd George has passionatsly
called attention to the fact that In
nifty years the number of British
agricultural laborers has fallen off
more than 10000. while the number
OF Gamekeepers has increased by .
per cent.
Woe to the tenant who offends the
landlord by complaining that the
pheasants or hares have injured his
crops, or that his growing fields have
been trampied and ruined by hum
ters.
He Is apt to be turned out Of his
holding on the expiration OF his
lease and driven from the neighbor-
hood. even IL the arbitrary raising OF
his rent does not accomplish that
end.
Let farm laborer be tempted 10
snare one of the luscious little bIrGs
that TEEN in the great game pre-
serves. or let him invite the III win
of the garnekeepers or arouse the re-
sentiment of an orthodox parsen who
thinks that he should go to the es-
tablished church instead OF a nor
conformist chapel.
1t will be only question Of -
when he will have to leave that ~
Of the country, even though 1t II NJ
birthplace.
Such are the terrific political ana
social powers OF British landlordisrn
And the waste spaces withdrawn
from productive service to the COM
munity and abandoned to sport pay
trivial local taxes as undeveloped
land. while the improved and culti-
waited soil is compelled to bear a
correspondinsly higher burden Of
rates.
The Liberal government has prom
ised to see that game preserve Land
shall be assessed at the value Il
would save If put TO the most pro-
ductive use.
So that the great landlords may
still abandon their estates to pheas-
ants. hares. and deer. but they viii
though they benefited society by
growing food or timber.
CONTINUED tomorrow.)