The Socialism of to-day

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 835096955

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-28834

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Laveleye, Émile de

Title:: The Socialism of to-day

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Field & Tuer

Year of publication:: 1884

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XLIV, 331 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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288 SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND. suppose that the explosions of dynamite which have recently occurred in England were the work of Irish-American Revolu tionists, who are actuated by a special hatred of England and English rule in Ireland, and not by any general anarchic idea such as was preached by Bakunin throughout Southern Europe. Of Anarchism in England, therefore, I happily have no occasion to speak ; but I propose to give an account of the present aims and positions of the three socialistic movements to which I have made allusion. The idea of land nationalization as a remedy for some of the evils of modem times is not a new one. According to the late Mr. Arnold Toynbee, it originated with James Mill, who was led to it by his observations on the systems of land tenure and revenue in India ; but there is reason to believe that the idea is much older.* As a practical proposal, land nationalization in a modified form first attracted attention when put forward, in 1870, by the Laud Tenure Reform Association, of which John Stuart Mill was the moving spirit. The fourth article of the programme of this Association was as follows :— “ To claim, for the benefit of the State, the interception by taxation of the future unearned increase of the rent of land (so far as the same can be ascertained), or a great part of that increase, which is continually taking place, without any effort or outlay by the proprietors, merely through the growth of population and wealth ; reserving to owners the option of relinquishing their property to the State at the market value which it may have acquired at the time when this principle may be adopted by the Legislature. ” Mill defended this special taxation of land mainly on the ground that land is a natural monopoly ; that in every pros perous community, quite apart from any efforts of the owners, it tends to rise in value ; and that this rise in value, being due to the community, ought to accrue to the community. The Association did not, however, propose to disturb landowners in their past acquisitions, but only to tax future unearned increases * Mr. Hyndman (“Historical Basis of Socialism,” p. 448) mentions a pamphlet by Thomas Spence, of Newcastle, published a hundred years ago, which formulated a complete scheme of land nationalization by the action of parishes and municipalities.

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