The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-08-29
IN
LONDON ARE
NOT TAXED
They Own Temple Inn and Do
Things as They
Please,
By JOHN W. RAPER

T-7 n LONDON: Great Britain's
most powerful union is the
4 one organized by the lawyers
several centuries ago. OF course, it
isn't called a union, but that is what
1t is. The lawyers call it an Inn and
use a capital Il" to distinguish it
from an inn that is a tavern. There
are four Inns in London
The lawyers conduct the education
of law students and have power to adj
NIT them to practice. The Inns are
housed on tracts of land that cover
what would be several blocks of an
American city and which include
educational buildings, dining hall,
church and many buildings in which
the lawyers have their offices and
often their living quarters. Not all
the quarters Of some of the Inns are
used by lawyers so the thrifty boys
lease them to desirable outsiders.
The lawyers themselves regulate the
conduct of their profession and in
some cases name the fees.
Pay No Taxes
The Temple Inn has the most val
liable tract of ground Of any Of the
Inns. 1t is in the heart of the an
Gent city and is tract known as a
Liberty" being entirely independent
of the city and county government and
of taxing authorities.
Originally it was an independent city
owned by the Knights" Templars but
some king became peeved at the
knights and gave it to the hospitallers.
In an unguardeI moment the hos
pitallers leased it to the lawyers and
now the lawyers own it.
Various historians have tried 10 find
out what kind Of a game the lawyers
worked, but have never been able to
trace it. They have learned, however,
that one Of the Henrys gave a great
dinner one time and that the lawyers
sent to the banquet gold cup filled
with gold coins.
It's Private Property
The lawyers permit the public to use
their thorofares, but signs everywhere
inform YOU that you are on private
property and have no rights Of any
kind. You can't obtain admission to
their church without a letter from a
member. Through some kink in the
law. if a taxing official can obtain ad- |
mission to the Inn on Ascension Day
and serve a notice, the property can
be taxed. so on Ascension Day the
gtes are locked and nobody is admit
ted except members Of the union and
persons known to be AL right
Everybody in England is polite
Iondoners especially So No man
leaves your presence without saying
Good morning" Good afternoon
or Good evening" Half the time
somebody is saying I'm sorry" wait
ers and others serving the public say
ing I'm so sorry"
Veterans Sell Matches
There are many reminders Of the
war sad 10 look upon. They are the
hungry veterans. selling matches.
grinding an organ. playing a horn,
or singing.
listened to a brass band in the
Strand the other day The eight mu-
siclans sat on Hight stools upon the
sidewalk and played, not at all poorly.
Each man wore some kind Of a deco
ration. several Of them had two.
Upon the bass drum. drawn with pen
ell of crayon in crude letters. were
the words, "Ex.Service Mems Band,
the Pride of London"
AS the men played two crippled sol
diers passed through the audience and
approached spectators. holding out
hat and jingling the coins that were
I'm IT.