Nebraska Newspapers

    DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD; DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA.
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WIG OF
FUTURE CITIZENS
Widows' Pension Act, in Opera
tion in New Jersey, Declared
to Be'Grcat Success.
KEEPS THE HO.ME TOGETHER
Under the Law Widows Are Enabled
to Clothe, Feed and Educate Their
Children Will Do Away With Pub
lie Institutions, Which Cannot
Take the Place of the Mother
New York Is Investigating With a
View to the Adoption of the Sys
tem. - EWARK, N. J. Sho stands In
the door of tho shanty elio calls
homo on tho outskirts of tho
city. A child clings to each
hand and another clutches tightly to
ciio roids or her pink calico dress. Just
inside tho door stands two now brims
cribs Across the gloomy aspect of
broken kitchen chairs and patched
table boyond aro hooks In tho brick
chimney on which hang children's gar
ments with tho bright stamp of now
ncss on thorn. There Is coal In tho
scuttle by tho range, with Its cracked
l!ds, and there is food a-cooklng. Dingy
nnd gloomy Is tho Interior of the sin
rlo room, but it Is spotlessly clean.
This Is tho homo of tho first widow
In Jersey to bo pensioned for being
what she is just a poverty-stricken
mother. Tho cribs, tho coal, tho
clothes, tho food aro results of that
first pension check.
Homes Are Proof of Worth.
To tho outsldo world perhapB tho
Widow's Pension act passed In Jersey
last July Is a hazy reality, tho real sis
nlflcnnco of which is hardly appreciat
ed. It is only when ono can peer Into
n homo where tho pension has como
or perhaps, more aptly, has peered in
to it beforo and after tho coming
that it dawns on ono what this pen
Honing of widowed women who huve
children dopendent upon thorn really
means.
Hrlefly the widows' ponslon was the
dream of Isaac T. Nichols, ponator
from Cumberland county, who plainly
stated that in his opinion a woman
v. no Drought children Into the world
wns entitled to a pension for her work
whfni her husband, or support, was
ichen from ber by death. That was
fio beginning. Sonntor Nichols war
for pensioning ovory mother of a child
under sixteen years old. Hut thorc
vero those who objpetcd. Such a broad
ret, thoy said, would allow uninurrlcc'
vomen with children, women with hus
bands still living and others to share
in tho rownrd lntendod really for the
vldowpd mother. The bill was amend
od, and became a law on July 1.
First Pension on July 22.
By July 22 tho first hearing to deter
mine tho granting of ponslon had bed
held, and tho first pension wna grant
ed. It Is only a mnttor of timo whon
"very state will have its pensioned
mothers, Senator Nichols said.
Thoro aro 34G widowed mothers
drawing pension in Now Jersey, and
the nunibnr Is steadily IncrnnHlnp
Thore aro pensioned mothers In ovory
ono of the state's 21 counties savo ono.
'Tho ono exception from which no ru
Quest has como is Ocean county, in tho
southern part of tho state. Why no
cry from a needy mother hns been
lioard from there Ib. a mystery to tho
stato board of dilldron'B guardians
whlciriiaB.tho supervision of tho pen
sions and pensioners In hand.
Tho procoss a widowed mother must
employ to gain a ponslon Is slmnle
First, sho must wrlto to the state
board of children's gunrdlans for
application blanks. Sho will recoivo
threo blanksnil ldontlcal. She must
Jill in each, ono for the ntnto board,
ono for tho oversoer of tho poor In
her district and ono for tho judgo ot
tho county court, whero her case
eventually will bo heurd.
County Foots the Bills.
On receipt of her application tho
Btuto board Bonds Investigators to de
termine her .condition. Then n date is
set for hor hearing and Bhe goes into
court nnd tolls hor story. Tho Invob
tlgation of tho state board is offered
In evidence, and tho judgo passes on
whether or not sho is eligible to a
ponslon. If sho becomes a pcnalonoi
tho checks uro sent hor out of llu
funds of tho county in which sho liven.
Tho amount of tho ponslon. which
is really intended for tho support of
Iter children 1b fixed by law. It la $9
a month for one child, til a mnntii
for two children and $18 a month for
threo children, and for each chl'd
thereafter $4 a month. Tho etuto
board's Investigators havo supervisory
cnurgo oi mo dispensation of tho pen
sion nnd of tho conduct of tho mothor.
At tho arrival of n child at tho ago of
sixteen, or bofore. at tho discretion of
the board, tho pension for that child
can bo discontinued. TIiIb, briefly, Is
what Nqw Jersey has dono for Hs
widowed raotllora. How has tho plan
worked out?
Tho woman with tho threo children
in a shanty on tho edgo or Newurk
smiled whon alio was asked. It wasa
tired smile, but there wus no trace of
unhnpplness In It.
"How docs it work?" sho answered,
and her voice was full with emotion.
"Fine!"
Sho paused to smooth with a thin
HUNTED IN ARCTIC REGION
Party of Philadelphia Sportsmen Re
turn Laden Down With the
Spoils of the Chase.
After lighting thoir way through"
ce-clogged seas and wintry galos and
penetrating to n point in tho Arctic
ocean seldom, if ever, visited by
sportsmen, four widely known big
aHie hunters havo returned to this
city wth n thrilling story of their ox-periences.
roil SsWJZhA
hand the hair of u five-year-old boy
who clung to her dress. Tho other
children, n girl of eight nnd a boy of
soven, looked up at hqr as children
only can look at thoso thoy trust.
"It pays tho rent," sho went on, "and
It buya the coal and It gives mo a
chanco to clothe them as thoy ought
to bo clothed. Boforo tho first chock
from the county camo wo didn't havo
any clothes that you might call
clothes. I didn't mind for myself, but
tho Httlo ones were without warm
things except what I could make for
them between tho davs' work, nnd
ovon In July tho winter Isn't far oft,
fftr llin nnnp nf Inntit nml M.tr. l.n..A
Is cold. I hated to look ahead and
think of them shivering all day, and
mo coat most gone, and then it wan a
puzzle as to whether to spend our lono
dollar for food or warmth for them.
"But now," sho smiled again, "It's
different. It pays tho rent, and It buys
tho coal, nnd wo can eat threo times
overy day."
New York Investigating.
Now York is fighting for tho very
law Now Jersoy now has. Tho fore
most charity and philanthropic stu
dents In Now Ybrk city ardently In
dorso It. Every club In tho City Fed
eration and nil those throughout tho
stato have given It their unqualified
approval. Tho stato of Now York Ihih
taken a step in tho direction of wid
owed mothers' pensions. Last year
tho governor appointed n commission
to Investlgato tho workings of tho law
in sovoral states, including Now Jer
soy. Thin commltteo will report upon
tho ndvlBablllty of enacting similar re
lief legislation. Ono of the mombers
of tho commission is Mrs. William Ein
stein', presldont of tho Widowed Moth
ers' Fund, who for many years hns
been tho heart and soul of tho now
great movemont. According to her,
thoro really Is but ono sldo to tho
question.
"Thoro is not n bit of doubt," alio
dcclnrcd," that tho stato owes tho
duty to tho children. I speak ad
visedly of tho children instead of tho
mothers. However difficult nnd pa
thetic may bo tho condition of n wid
owed mother, who Is unable to support
hor children and who must bring them
up In a state of pitiful sordlnosB or re
linquish them to tho state, tho condi
tion of the children Is worao.
. Eighteen States Give Relief.
"Tho Influences ot thoir early years
aro tho Influences of u lifetime, and
thoy mako or mar thorn. And certainly
It Is obligatory upon tho administra
tion to seo that all possible bo dono to
mako thoso influences of tho host.
Mother, lovo and homo surroundings
nro ot lnestimnblo vnluo, and since tho
Btn.to can presorvo Hiobo to tho chil
dren it should do so.
"Slnco I havo boon interested In this
problom, 18 states havo adopted a sys
tem of relief for wldowod mothers, nnd
In ovory ono of thorn It is working
bcnutlfully. It can't help but bo a last
ing success Tho argument that tho
stato will bo spending too much monoy
is not worth consideration. Tho only
dlfforenco is that tho money will go dl
roctly Into tho noody homes instead
of into Institutions. It will do In
finitely moro good in thoso homos
than in institutions.
"And, what Ib Just as important, we
wish to do away ontlroly with private
charity. That accomplishes very little.
It lb only a, temporary relief and
doesn't for n moment got nt tho big
principle of tho situation."
Mr. Hruero, tho head of tho Bureau
of Municipal Hcsearch, believes In
such relief, but ho declares tho pros,
ont schoino does not go fur enough or
qulto grasp the underlying principle of
cue question.
Would Go Even Further.
"As a stop In tho right dlroctlon,"
ho Bald, "I am In favor ot tho prosont
movomont. ' In considering It I have
gone through many phases. And while
I am theoretically In thorough agree
ment with It, I cannot help thinking
that It stops a little Bhort.
"1 prefer a gonoral social Insurance
that will lay loss streBs on roiiof
necessity and moro on the payment as
a right. For unquestionably thoro Is
an Indubitable right that thoso moth
ors nnd children should have rollof.
"Tho danger In tho present scheme,
It BcomH to mo, Is that tho mother bus
no absolute surety Bho will bo paid,
and that thoro is no Incontlvo for a
husband and fnthor to provldo for his
Tho huntors aro Alfred M. Collins
or Bryn Muwr, vice-president of tho
A. M. ColllngB company; Gilpin Lov
ering of Jenklntown, Marshall Scull
of Overbrook und Dr Arthur W. Kit
ing of Albany, N. Y. They brought
back as trophies from tho cold north
flvo polar hoars, four black beaiB, two
brown bears, 14 wulruBOB und eight
caribou.
Tho hunters had many exciting ex
periences in tho pursuit of big gamo.
Onto their small boats wcru mu
re u nil cd by a liord of walrus that
t Afl..
family. Howevor. the widowed moth
ors' rollof plan Is excellent. It Indi
cates a wholesome Intorest In pre
ventive work. It shows a splendid de
velopment of public thinking."
Of tho clubwomen of New York
city, 80,000 In nil, and tho clubwomen
of Now York Btato, 200,000 of themj
thoro Is not ono who Is not an cnthuslJ
astic advocate of tho Idea. Florenco
Guernsey, president of tho Federation
of Women's Clubs, oxpressed herself
forcibly.
"State Owec It to Mothers."
"I am vory much In favor of It," she
declared. "I think It is a fine, a won
derful thing. Only thoso who know of
the tragedies of a homo In which the
bread winner Is gono can appreciate
what such a thing will mean. The
state owes something to the mothers,
and It Is Its duty to nccopt Its obliga
tion. I think It Is tho mother who
should look rafter tho children, take
euro of them, and no ono else, and tho
mother should bo given tho opportun
ity to do BO.
"All of tho clubs of tho city fedeia
tlon, ns well as of tho stato, havo In
dorsed tho work being dono to brlnjj
about such a stato ot affairs, and If
tlwaro Is any ono thing women demand
wholeheartedly It Is relief for widowed
mothers."
Mrs. A Mt Palmer, president of the
Rainy Day club, wiih oven more" em
phatic. '
"It would muko better men and
women," sho declared. "There Ib no
Influence thut can compare with that
of a mothor and with that of a home,
and a. child deprived of theso is handi
capped for life. It has not tho advant
ages of thoso influences that mako for
fine maifliood nnd womanhood.
"Lovo, affection, caro theso aro tho
necessary things. Nothing la so im
portant. No stato institution can glvo
thorn, and n child In such a place Is
lnovltnbly hardened, and its finer in
stincts never expand and develop as
thoy would In an attnosphero of lovo
and homo. Tho chanco of maternal ful
fillment la n duty owed by tho state
both to tho mother und the child."
Mrs. Brown a Supporter.
Mrs. William Orant Brown, a leading
clubwoman, who but recently luturned
from a trip abroad, whoro sho went as
n dolegato to sovoral conventions,
speaks in similar fashion.
"I am bo much interested in tha
movomont," sho said, "that I havo
glvon up a considerable amount of my
tlmo to tho work. All thoso who know
tho conditions in the homes of the
poor agree that relief for widowed
mothors la a much needed bit of legis
lation, and almost all charity workers
favor relief directly In the homo.
"It will bo not only an economic sav
ing In tho long run, nnd porhnps even
In tho abort run, but it also will bo a
blessing bo great that It Is hardly con
ceivable. Only tho mother, who will
bo able to retain hor first born, nnd
tho little girl who need no longer fear
tho strange faces of Bomo stato Institu
tion can truly appreciate all it means."
Miss Frances Day is gononal agent
of tho Now Jersoy stato board. Sho Is
n woman of broad comprehension and
human sympathy. Many of tho cases
sho has Investigated hersejf, and sho
knows what tho granting of thoso pen
sions mean to ninny a poor mother.
400 Applicants So Far.
4Tho greatest number of applica
tions, oho says, havo come irom Hud
son nnd Essox counties, tho two most
thickly populated in tho stato, the
former Including Jorsoy City Itsolf.
There havo been 100 applications from
each, with Mercer county nnd Bur
Ungton county not far behind.
"Muscular Christianity."
Tho now year in England Is to boo
launched a church paper run on tho
linos of "muscular Christianity."
Which reminds ono to ask, who was
tho Inventor of that particular
phrase? For Klngsloy repudiated It.
To a clergyman who, In a review,
had culled him "a muscular Chris
tian," tho rector of Eversley wrote:
"You havo used thnt, to me, painful,
If not offensive, torm 'muscular Chris
tianity,' My dear sir, I know of no
Christianity save ono. . . . ." And
In ono of his "David" sermons at
Cambridge Klngsloy spoko of "muscu
lar Christianity a clover phrnso in
vented by I know not whom." Now,
If It wasn't Klngsloy sot It nilont, who
wus It? London Chronicle.
were eurnged bocnuso one of their
number had been killed. Thoy1
charged tho boats, and tho hunters
wore obliged to take to their oars
and pull back to tho schooner for
duar life.
Tho hunting was dono lu tho Arc
tic ocean north ot Boring strait ns far
as Herald uland off tho northorn
coast of Slborla, 300 mllos west of
tho strait; In oastem Siberia, In tho
Boring boh, nnd on tho Konal ponln
ia or Alnaka Philadelphia DIb
putch to tho Now York Sua.
Making Tomorrow's
World
By WALTE11 WILLIAMS, LL.D.
(Dtan ll School cfJcutrvalUm ethe UntKnlly aMluourf)
LAND MONOPOLY
London, Eng
lnnd. Moro than
ono-half tho land
of England and
Wales is owned
by 4.300 persons.
Nearly 30,000,000
or twcthlrds of
the entire popu
lation aro land
less. Eight per
cent, of the pop
ulation of Great
Britain live In
houses with only
one bedroom. Es
timating the to
tal national In
como nt $9,205,
000,000, this In
como Is divided
ono-half to flvo
nnrl nnn.linlf tnll.
1 Hon persona and one-half to the re
maining thlrty-nlno millions of the
population.
One-Thlrd of Land for Pleasure.
Excluding Scotland nnd Ireland,
at $9,205,000,000, this Income is divided
one-half to five nnd ono-half 'million
persons and ono-half to the remaining
Hvo in houses with only one bedroom
Estimating the total national Income
whero the condition Is worse, In Eng
land nnd Wales one-third of all tho
land is unused for agriculture, Indus
try or housing. In tho striking phrase
or tho Into Sir Henry Campbell-Ban-nerman,
It is "moro of a pleasure
ground for the rich than a treasure
houso for tho nation." Four hundred
peers and peeresses, to use Mr. L. G.
Chlozza Money's carefully prepared
'Jgures, own 5,730,000 acres; 1,300
great landowners own 8,500,000 acres;
2.G0O squires own 4,320,000; 9,600
greater yeomen own 4,780,000; 24,400
lesser yeomen own 4,140,000; 220,000
small proprietors own 4,000,000; 700,
000 cottagers own 150,000; while of
the remaining 3,000,000 acres half Is
owned by public bodies and half lies
waste. If tho ownership bo averaged,
it will bo round that a peer holds an
average of 14.325 acres; a great land-
Village on Duke of
ownor, 6,538; a squire, 1.CC1; a greater
yeoman, 49C; a lesser yeoman, 170; a
small proprlotor, IS, and a cottager,
less than halt an acre.
3C0.C00 Leave Farmc in Decade.
What Is the effect of this concen
tration of land In the hands of the
few?
"Lnnd Is the mother aud labor tho
father of wealth," a distinguished
economist has written. Land concen
trated In a few hands Increases the
problom of poverty, which Mr. Horace
II. Samuel defines as "tho economic
dlscomtort occasioned to vast uia"jes
of tho population by tho unequal dis
tribution of wealth." The ubo of tho
land Is necessary for economic produc
tion, whether agricultural or Indus
trial, and for housing, whether In city
or country. Tho wholo trend of civili
zation just now is away from ngrlcul-'
turo and toward Industrialism. In
England this tendency Is most marked
Less than nine per cent, of tho popu
lation of Englnnd nro now engaged in
agriculture, 300,000 having abandoned
tho tarm in tho Inst ten years, as
many leaving tho farm in a single
decado as tho entlro number or farm
owners In tho stnto of Missouri. In
tho Unltod States ono person In threo
la engaged lu agriculture In somo
form; In all Great Britain and Ireland
only ono In ten Is so engnged, and 'the
proportion Is growing rapidly less.
Tho general tendency of tho situation,
to quoto tho significant and measured
words of Mr Asqulth, tho British
prime minister, Is "a process or deple
tion nt ono end nnd congestion at the
other, by which every year tresh ad
ditions or recruits are bolug mndo to
tho ranks ot the casual nnd unem
ployed." Land Hogging Spawns Great Evils.
Lund concentration in Great Britain
has promoted agricultural depression,
low wages, unemployment and discon
tent. "It Ib notorious," said a city ot
London barrister, "that large areas ot
land which might bo with ndvantuge
farmed by desirable tenants willing to
pay a fnlr mnrkot rent nro kopt back
by owners, who cither sit on tho prop
erty In the hopo of being eventually
able to hutch a hlghor price, or pre
sorvo It for tho purpose of gamo or
ornament for reasons of social pres
tlge or sheer sporting Instinct. Tho
extent of this retontlon ot land Is con
clusively, evidenced by tho numerous
pplicauons Jhut tlow In for overy
J
IN GREAT BRITAIN.
farm that is thrown upon tho market
nnd by the frequent abortive endeav
ors by actuator would-be small farm
ers to obtain at current market rate
new or additional land for agricultur
al purposes." Tho evils of this stato
of affairs aro manifest. Not only aro
many persons thus deprived of tho
employment which otherwise thoy
would bo enjoying, but this swelling of
the ranks of tho unemployed, somo of
wnom remain in tho country and somo
go to tho cities, tends to diminish
wages, and, so far as farm products
aro concerned, to Incrense prices.
Poverty, taxation, ngrlculturo, unem
ployment, housing, tho wholo economy
of tho social' system, are affected by
iho lnnd problem.
Tho resulting high price of land in
Great Britain, the unused land which
has been practically untaxed and the
burden upon all lnduatry havo caused
serious consideration of the problem.
That "something Bhould bo dono" la
asserted by statesmen as far separat
ed In political boilers as Mr. Balfour
and Mr. Lloyd-George.
Very "8oft" for Noble Duke.
The unnecessary burden which falls
upon industry by landlordism In the
form of mining royalties Is another
evil result. Mr. Lloyd-George, tho Lib
eral chancolor, estimated It at $40,
000,000 a year. The average amount
of royalty on Iron ore Is GO cents a
ton on every ton bi ought to the surf
ace and 18 cents on coal. This ts nniri
to landlords for mining royalties In
addition to ordinary leases or "dead
rents," In British phrase. Of tho coal
mines visited ono example will suf
fice. A coal mlno operating company
fourteen years ago sank the mlno at
an expense of $2,500,000, and, although
as yet no coal has been taken out, tho
company has paid in mining royalties
to the duke or Newcastle more than
$500,000. Nearby is a quarry from
which tho landlord drew $7,500 for
tho clay extracted.
As in ngrlculturo and in mining, so
In tho towns for factory and business
sites tho land concentration mnken for
higher burdens. Somo concrete in-
Norfolk's Estate.
stances, vouchod for by Mr. H. It.
Stockman, who has made a study "of
the question, will show tho result.
"The obvious creator of land wealth,"
said that canny Scotchman, Andrew
Carnegie, "is not tho individual, but
tho community." Mr. Balfour, in an
address in tho house of commons,
said: "Tho value of-all land, any
where, Just ns the value ot a railway,
wherevor It may bo and by whomso
ever it was made, by tho stato or by
private individuals, the value or thiB,
as welPus ot every other kind or prop
erty, depends upon the community."
But to whom does tho unearned incre
ment o?
Unearned Fortunes for Landlords.
Iu fifty years the ground rent of the
town of Burton-on-Trent increased
from $10,000 to $350,000. An nbsonteo
owner, the marquis of Anglesey, as
landlord receives this rent. His local
taxes or rates are $390.
Sheffield, one of the greatest manu
facturing cities In England, Is owned,
In grcnter part, by the duke of Nor
folk. A dry goods merchant In that
city held a lease on laud nt $75 a
year. Soven years boforo the lease
would havo expired tho duko granted
a renewal on condition that tho ten
ant surrendered the unexpired part of
tho lease, paid $750 a year rent In
stead of $75, spent $5,000 In Improving
the building and continued to pay all
the tnxes.
A largo part ot the ground upon
which London's buildings stand Is
owned by certain rich peers. Land is
not sold by them, but leased or rented.
Tho renter erects, at his own expenso,
such buildings as ho needs, and pays
all the taxes. When his lease expires
ho must pay the Increased rent which
his own Improvements muko possible
to charge, or else move, abandoning
his own building. Somo recent sales
show tho almost tabulous prlco which
the absentee landowner recolves when
he does sell London real estate in the
more ravored sections.
Fabulous Price for London Realty.
Tho London county council wont to
parliament for powers to purchaso Al
bert Square garden, Llmehouso, to
preservo it for an open spaoo or park
for tho poor. After arbitration, the
council was compelled to pay to-tho
"noble lord," Its owner, $50,000 for the
ground, two-thirds of an acre. At tho
Junction of Old Brond stroet, whore
stands tho batik upon which mauy
tns'ann who Visit L01.uv,i, uu. ...
tora of c..", :amo ofilces were bold.
tho price for tit ft. rbj being $1,
050,000, or nearly $350 a jKitfar ?.
which is about $15,000,000 an acif
What Is Orpnt Britain to do about
It? Democracy, which Is, or at least
should be, tho policeman and tho part
ner of industry, is already In tho Uni
ted Kingdom doing somothlng and
plans to do more. "Let well enough
alone" no longer satisfies, much less
"let bad nlono. lest the chnngo bring
worse."
National Ownership Makes Headway.
Threo gonoral plans of land reform
havo been seriously considered, and
each, to a degrco, has been adopted.
The three plans nro nationalization
of tho land, tho smnll holdings policy,
and taxation. Twenty years ago tho
great Gladstono said: "If the tlmo
comes when tho British nation finds
that the land should be nationalized,
and it is wlso to do it, they havo a
perfect right to do so." Nationaliza
tion, which means tho ownership by
ill the people of all tho land, Is open
ly talked.. Indeed, It la put into prac
tical effect to a ilegreo ln'govornmont
purchaso and ownership In tho land
purchaso acts. That striking form of
imtlonnliratlon known as tho single
tnx, which "prldps Itself on bolng ef
fected without compensation and by
tho confiscation by tho stato of eco
nomic rent," has many strong advo
cates. Rent being a value created by
tho whole community, say Its pupport
ora, Bhould1 belong to the wholo com
munity. All economic rent, the rent
of tho actual land apart from tho im
provements, Is unearned Increment.
Tho single taxers would conflscato not
tho land to the state, but tho rent.
Compulsory Sale and Leasing.
Another form of land nationalization
Is considered, though not seriously.
This involves tho taking over of all
the lan'd by the state, with compensa
tion to the landlord. Small holdings
by compulsory purchases and small
holdings by compulsory leasing are
othor plans actually pursued. Under
these schemes the landlord Is com
pelled to sell or lease small acreages
for actual farm use. Land hire by the
state and land purchaso tiro involved
in this general scheme. A more dras
tic inqasuro has just been proposed by
Mr. Will Thome on the houso of com
mons. Under tho Thorne bill It would
bo Illegal for any person toehold, In ag
ricultural districts, any land, exceed
ing fifty acres In extent, in a wasto or
uncultivated state, unless It shall not
bo possible to cultivate such land at a
profit, or unless It shall have been
devoted to some purpose of public
utility.
"A Tax to Burst Land Monopoly."
Tho real attack upon the ovils of tho
present land ownership, tho one about
which the fiercest contention has ta
ken place, is thut In Lloyd-Georgo 3
budget of taxation. Many forms of
land taxation have been proposed,
considered and, occasionally, adopted.
Land value taxation, In some form, en
ters Into discussion everywhere This
now land taxation, however, recently
carried Into effect by tho Liberal gov
ernment, Is not a tax to ralso revenue,
but, to quoto the pungent phrafce of
the chancelor of the exchequer In pro
posing it, "a tax to burst the land
monopoly." This now system ot ti.xa
tlon included five per cent, duty oa
mining royalties, a taxation of gltts of
nature or windfalls. It Included a lax
on the capital valuo of uuworked min
erals, thus stimulating the exploitation
of mines hitherto unworked. The im
portant principles of the new taxation,
however, are involved in the Incre
ment tax, the tax on undeveloped
building land and on leasehold rever
sions. Under these sections two tax
values are placed on land, the sito
valuo and tho Improved value. Tho
tendency or tho tax, as shown by its
actual workings, Ib to bring more
building' land Into the market, thus
rollevlng congestion In the cities and
tho country.
Under the system of long lease
holds, which Is peculiar to Great Bri
tain, tho owner ot the freehold ob
tains, on tho expiration of the lease
its "tailing In," to employ an English
phrase "a property which has sub
ttantlally increased in value y reaBou
or the general growth or the commun
ity nnd independently ot any expendi
ture of labor or enterprise on tho part
of the owner."
Tho budget levies ten per cent, duty
upon tho margin by which tho lease
hold has appreciated since it was lust
granted. Agricultural leases are ex
empt from this duty, as aro all leases
mndo within tho last twenty-one years
20 Per Cent. Increment Duty.
"Founded on tho samo principle,"
pointed out Mr. Horaco B. Samuel, iu.
discussing this effort to burst tho land
monopoly, "Is the actual increment
duty itself. This Is a duty of 20 pur
cent., levied at death, on transfer, or
at Intervals of fifteen years (about tho
average period at which all land In the
United Kingdom, through ono causo
or another, changes hands) on the ac
tual site value " Supplementary to
theso novel forma of taxation regard
ed by many In Great Britain as revolu
tionary Ib a provision for a universal
valuation of all the land atlected.
How far this new taxation will
break up the land monopoly and mako
over the United Kingdom it is too
early to predict- It appears to be tho
entering wedgo for larger advance
"We aro marching on," said Lloyd
George. "Wo aro just beginning to
march on to attack tho vory center
ot all tho social evil, tho land monop
oly." Tho organization or opportunity tor
all, Is tho program of the British dem
ocracy today. To this end, monopoly
of ownership of land, which limits op
portunity to tho few, must in some
way bo abolished. To this high task
does Oreat Britain address herself.
Tho result is on tho knees of tho gods.
(CopyrlRlit. 1913, bv Joseph D. Uowlea.)
Banner Has a History.
An historic banner hus been pre
sented to the Clackmannan (Scot
land) county council. The gift is
from Lord Abercromby and consists
of the banner and crest of his ances
tor, Sir Ralph Aborcromby, Knight of
the Bath. Commander-in-chief In In
dia, 1793-97 and 1801-27. removed from
King- Henry VII Chapel at West
minster abbey. Tho historic relics
will bo given a prominent place in
Jio county buildings nt Alloa
ffOME,
Ta
Helps
BILLBOARD AS A NUISANCE
Unnecessary and Unsightly, There Is
Absolutely No Reason for Its
Existence.
There is ovidenco that the move
ment against tho billboard nuisance
is becoming national. Thero Is evi
dence that it is accomplishing things,
in sptto of local reverses inflicted by
unprogressivo Judges too ready with
injunctions or of slothful and incompe
tent officials.
it is stated that in New York stato
nearly 100,000 signs illegally posted
on tho highways havo been tbrn down.
Hundreds of business men havo form
ally pledged themselves to discourage
tho illegal billboard nulsanco.
But what of tho logal billboard nui
sance? Sooner or later the statutes
and ordinances againBt tho former
nulsanco will bo vitalized by public
sentiment. But it Ib supposed to be
all but impossible to regulate bill
boards placed on private property.
Aro citizens interested in "civic prog
ress to admit. defeat in this direction?
By no means.
France,it appears has abated the
billboard nuisance along the principal
lines of travel by means of a high tax.
"Tho right to tax," wo know, "is tho
right to destroy." Cannot ugly, offen
sive nnd depressing billboards be
taxed out of existence? The plan is
being advocated in Now York by a
commission thnt has Just reported on
tho subject, as well as by citizens and
nowspapers. and it is worthy of at
tention elsewhere. Now York Sun.
PROVIDING FOR SHADE TREES
Maine Town Has a Method That
Would Seem to Be Well Worth
Copying.
A novel method of providing and
maintaining shade trees for the
streets is in effect in Farmlngton, Me.,
whero a disastrous fire twenty years
ago killed practically all the trees.
Following this fire some of the philan
thropic citizens of the town originat
ed tho plan which is in effect today
Street in Maine Town, Where Each
Tree Is Maintained by a Citizen.
and under which each tree Is bought,
set out and cared for by some one per
son. Each tree bears a number, and
in tho courthouse thero is a map show
ing tho location of each tree and tho
name of the donor. Many trees aro
maintained by former residents of the
town. Popular Mechanics.
Model English Homes.
In speaking of the housing of the
working classes by tho London county
council at Tottenham, a northern
suburb of London, Mr. Watrous said:
"Thero within reach of tho very poor
est are airy and substantial dwelling
places with all facilities, recreational
nnd otherwlso, of a class seldom to
be mot with In tho United States.
"It is a fine thing when a munici
pality buys land, builds tho premises
and rents them at a nominal sum 16V.
tho working classes. We were so lm-
pressed with the wonderful success of
tho Tottenham scheme that wo havo
brought back photographs of the
dwellings and other useful details con.
corning them with the idea of utilizing
them as a model in our own country."
School Wall Flower.
A word ought to be said about you!
duty to the students who arp always
"loft out of things." Many a real trag
edy has boen silently lived by misun
derstood or disliked boys and girls at
schools. If you aro ono of them, mako
up your mind that you will be agree
able Don't resent It; that only makes
It worse. Just bo cheerful and patient;
watch yourself to see if you have any
little oddities that make you an un
desirable companion; try to like every
bodyand you will soon find people
liking you. If you nre ono of the
popular set bo on tho lookout to cheer
those who aro among tho "left outs."
You will bo surprised at the pleasuro
you will find and at tho sweetness of
some of the friendships thus formed.
Christian Herald.
A Weighty Work.
"I wish you would send mo a 'His
tory of Philosophy.' " k,,
"Certainly," replied tho booksellor.
"Tho boy will dollver It on his way
homo tonight."
"But I want It in Gorman."
"Oh! Then I must send it in a
wagon." Puck.
A Suggestion.
"Aro electric wires quick-tempered
steel?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Becauso It seems so dangerous to
cross them."
Greeks Played Domlnos.
The game of domlnos has been va
riously traced to Greek, Hebrew nnd
Chinese origin. Early In tho eighteenth
century it wns introduced into France
from Italy, and tho Cafe do l'Opera
wus long tho headquarters for oxpert
players. From France It spread to
Englund, Germany and America.
Figure h Out.
Tho following quaint excuse was re
ceived by the Nortb London magis
trate from a defendant the other day
"Slrr. Sory canot ape.ir has I to hill '
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