El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-06-13
TITLE
REFORM IS
BIC FACTOR
Fierce Struggle Now On Be-
tween the Landed and
LandleSs Citizens.
LIBERALS PLEDGED
TO SECURE CHANGE
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

u AAAA1AlA1AAAO D. D-A1ALA-Aa
T ONDON. Eng. June I3.-There is
little 10 be said Of the mere
rights Of property in the Eng
lish political situation, since it is the
privileges Of property that really count
The land owning classes for centuries
have been tho governing classes OF
England. For a long time. even after
the rise Of the modern industrial sys-
TEN, they held the citadel OF their
power against the assaults OF the
wealthy manufacturers and merchants.
But when the plutocrats were once
within q castle they Joined forces
against the new danger Of q rising
The right TO vote for a member OF
parliament in Britain is not based upon
citizenship, but on the ownership or
use of property. It is true that by
successful reform bills this property
element has been reduced TO a very
small amount but still the agricultural
laborer who neither owns nor rents
property, IS n entitled TO a vote.
Pledged to Reform.
The Liberal party in Great Britain Is
pledged to a reform of land taxation,
so that the actual value of the land
Will be considered in making assess
ments, TO the double end that the bur-
den of taxation may be more than
equitably distributed and that the
great landed estates may be converted
from deer parks and game preserves
into productive fields The opposition
party is determined that no such vio-
lent disturbance Of the fiscal relations
between the government and the land
owning class shall be put into effect
Not only is undeveloped agricultural
land unuaxed, but even the used and
occupied agricultural holdings pay
mot hing Ike the Maid the CITY
house. The rural landlords have voted
themselves grants in the way OF rates
out Of the national treasury, but they
have also so changed the income tax
his tax on all income over $50 pounds
a year, the farms- pays income tax
only on oue-thi-d Of the ;ent he re-
ceives instead of the whole amount,
thus operating TO increase his eX-
empted income from 100 pounds TO $50
pounds
Injustice Claimed.
Those who are insisting upon the
taxation OF land values entertain no
decisions as TO who eventually pays
the taxes. They do assert, however
that IL is a rank injustice 10 the toll
ing millions Of the underpaid and IN
derfed working classes that the taxa
ton laws should be so arranged as to
encourage the further Withdrawal OF
land from actual use either for farm I
believe that the actual assessment OF
land at its capital value and the levy
Ing OF a tax on that assessment would
set the ak to work in the deer park
and the plow to breaking up the bird
preserves.
Furthermore. they believe that 20
compel the owner Of undeveloped land !
N the city 10 pay taxes on the market !
value OF his holdings would be TO en- !
him TO build houses, so as to /
% , a-~u md
Al the same time furnish accoommoda- ]
tons for the unhoused people Of the I
urban districts.
Included in Budget.
It was an event OF very great i'm ]
oortance when Mr.. Lloyd George in /
,luded in the budget introduced a few /
weeks ago a proposition for the valua- /
ion Of lands for the purpose Of assess
ne local rates, thus committing the 4
Liberal government to the proposition /
# change from the annual value to 1
he capital value Of land for the pur- I
pose Of taxation. It is by no means I
certain that this portion Of the budget /
viii be adopted
In fact, the details Of the agitation 4
or the taxation OF land values are |
merely symptomatic Of a much more
significant general trend England to-
lay is divided into two camps. One is
Of those who would continue i
% govern the country primarily In /
heir own interest and secondarily in /
he interest OF all the people by re-
aiming their hold on the governmental
machinery through the ownership OF
arge landed estates. The other is com
,osed Of those who would destroy the
partnership between the ownership Of
and and the governing class. and who |
POLITICAL power throughout the masses
4 the people