The Monticellonian., 1915-06-17
AVERAGE ESTATE
 IF ENGLISH RICH
 BEATS AMERICAN
Shown by Scrutiny of Given Num- Der of Wills Taken Consecu-
 lively as Filed.
SOME CURIOUS FACTS SEEN
One Comparison of English and American Estates Showed S4oo,ooo to 3,ooo-Women Figure larse-Many Rich Prelates
 Unusual Wills.

Larse-Many Rich Prelates
 Unusual Wills.
 London.-A study of the wills of Englishmen and Americans has been made by an official at Somerset house, where is located the principal registry for Great Britain. This official, while ln New York last year. examined the wills of several hundred wealthy and prominent persons who had resided in that city, and thereby was enabled to get information of value to the British income tax office, which has been both cred by men who give away their for inheritance tax
 The provision in the American law Is similar to that in the English law in such cases. Money or other prop erty given away in contemplation of death" is subject to the tax But this in the attempt made in New York to collect such a tax on a S1.000000 gift by the late D. o. Mills to his daugh. ter. It was shown by the executors. by letter written by Mr Mills, that 1t was his usual Christmas gift" though it did not come out at the hearing how many previous gifts of the kind had been made by him.
 The inheritance tax is very heavy in Britain. In the case of the late London banker, Charles J. Sofer- Whitburn. who left s7.400.000, the state collected, in duties, $1,1S5, ,000. notwithstanding that the property went to the son and other blood heirs On some legacies the death tax is 20 per cent.
 English Rich Men Richer.
 The first point of interest developed by the inquiry is that the average rich Englishman Is richer than the average rich American. This is shown by adding up the fortunes of any 100 consecutive British wills and com pairing the total with that of any 100 consecutive American wills, excluding from each list the men worth S1,100,- 900 or over. The difference is almost 100 per cent in favor of the English man. Thirty English fortunes on the list totaled s12,000,000. an average of $400,000. while thirty New York for : tunes totaled s7,000.000. an average of $233,000 each. The names on each list were taken just as they came. one after another
 Nor is Britain wanting in men of vast individual fortune. There was the case of Charles Morrison, ninety one. formerly a haberdasher, who left $54 900. He was a comparatively unknown Londoler. Alfred Belt, the South African diamond merchant left more than 40,000, 900. Sir E. P Willis left $l3.000.000; Cecil Rhodes, another British South African, more than $100.000.000. Sir Julius Wernher's es- tate was appraised at over $25, 900, ,000. He. too. made his money in the South African diamond fields. as did Henry Isaac Barnato, who left SIP, 300, ,000. Sir J. H. Schroeder left over $l0,000.- 900
 Average of Noblemen.
 The estate of the late Lord Strath- coma, high commissioner for Canada. was sworn provisionally at $2S,000,0 900
 The duke of Sutherland left unset tied personal property, outside of his landed estates. exceeding s1100,000. The duke of Fife left over $5,000, 900. The duke of Westminster left more than that in unentailed property. The duke of Argyll left more than S1,000,- 900. The duke of Bedford and the duke of Portland own London properties in excess of s20,000.000 each
 It is estimated that S500.000 would be fair average value of an English nobleman's estate The duke of Aber- corn died possessed of $1 .900,0 ,000; Earl Spencer $3,2l0,o00. Lord Lister $330,- 900. .Viscount Gage $S55, 900 in unset tied property. Lord Furness the steam ship man. $5,000,000; Baron de Worms $990,000. Lord Ashburnham estate was appraised at s1 ,250.000, Lord Hert- ford had $495,0 the earl of Craw- ford left s2.1s0,OO0 Lord Randel $3,- 260. 1000. Lord Ashbourne s460,00 Sir Tatton Sykes s1,446, ,000, Sir Richard Powell Cooper $3.O00.OO0. earl of An caster $750,000
 Some Unusual Wills.
 Miss Henrietta Hertz left $435 .000 for art galleries and schools and for research in the problems, theories and history of the philosophers of western and eastern civilizations in ancient and modern times. and more especially in the nonutiltarian theo- ries of the phenomena of life in rela- tion to eternity"
 Spanish lady living in Paris, with property in Britain. said in her will: .As to my sisters. nieces, nephew, brother-in-law and cousin. nothing; nothing shall come to them from me but bag of sand to rub themselves with; none deserves even a good-by."
 Miss Amanda Cooper left $250,0OO to King George
 Mrs. Charlotte Dudfield, who left >>~o-~--~~o~-~-~--O~~-~~