Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1917-12-13

in the generation that is dawn
ing, Ireland will show Europe
and the world the way. Her in
dividual sons have led the world
in the past century; in the COM
ing generation they are going
to develop the Irish soil. Many
thousands, perhaps hundreds of
thousands, of Irish people may
return to the motherland direct
ly peace is declared. Once the
change in conditions there is
known the Irish will flock back
in a resistless tide.
In Scotland the English Gov
ernment is considering breaking
up the great estates into small
holdings to be sold to returning
soldiers on easy terms of pay
ment. Besides, a whole new
scheme of land taxation is being
considered with the primary pur-
pose, not of increased revenue,
but of ending speculation in
land and opening it to use.
Canada is working on colony
projects in the Northwest, while
Australia and New Zealand have
already outstripped the world in
offering inducements to settlers.
Recently, in Congress, Senator
Sheppard, of Texas, who has in
troduced a bill providing for an
investigation of this problem,
said that the lead in this sort of
legislation for humanity had
been taken by New Zealand.
There all personally, live stock
and improvements are exempt
ed from taxation. The mort
gagee must pay a tax on his
mortgage as if it were land,
and is prohibited from charg.
ing it to the mortgagor. About
six-sevenths of the farm home
owners of New Zealand pay no
tax at all. Australia, too, has
introduced the land tax to break
up land speculation and idle
land holding.
GAIL the States of Australia
have worked out colonization
schemes, with the prime object
of breaking up big estates and
placing on them many small
farmers, not as tenants but as
owners or prospective owners.
The State of Victoria, for in
stance, offers a wonderful in
ducement to the settler. 1t
builds him home, places there
in furniture and essential work.
ing machinery, gives him six
head of cattle and a specified
amount of live stock besides.
and hands all over to him, with
enough acreage for one man to
work without help, with very
little payment down and an
easily graduated scheme of par
tial payments by which he be-
comes the proprietor in due
time, but with provisions made
for forfeiture and lapses, so that
it is practically impossible for
fairly thrifty man to lose his in
vestment.
Contrast with this the Amer
ican scheme which spends large
sums-like the $8,0O0,O00 re-
clamation project on the Yuma
desert-but which gives no
thought to the essential creature
comforts of the man who must
work the land"
"How can America meet this
foreign competitions"
"There are several ways, some
of which have been suggested
and some of which are being
developed. At the present time
l can no more than diagnose
the condition and point out the
undisputed facts. Take, for in
stance, the migration recently OF
hundreds of thousands of ne
groes from the South to North
ern cities. This would not have
occurred if better chances exist
ed in the South for negroes to
become owners. They are not
prohibited, it is true, under the
law, and many negroes do own
homes, but the crying need is
for State encouragement.
California, which is inclin-
ed to lead the nation in remedial
legislation of this sort, has re-
Gently appropriated S2a0,0OO for
the purpose of buying land for
subdivision into small holdings.
1t is small sum, comparatively,
and in the nature of an expert
ment, but it will point the way.
1t is in line with the teachings
of Ireland and Australia.
"The problem is for all Amer
lea. Farm labor has had several
severe blows. The draft has
hurt IL. The rising wage market