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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296 SOCIALISM IM ENGLAND. George, who, starting from the premiss that landlords are robbers, does not see why they should be compensated for being deprived of their powers to rob. The only sound principle, however, is that acknowledged by J. S. Mill, who, when advocating a radical change in the Irish Land Laws, said : “ Existing pecuniary interests which have the sanction of law ought to be respected. An equivalent ought to be given for the bare pecuniary value of all mischievous rights which landlords or any others are required to part with.” Mr. Wallace, indeed, labours hard to prove that, with the compen sation he proposes, his scheme would do no injury to existing landlords. But no amount of ingenuity can make out that the ownership of an annuity of ^100 for one, two, or three lives is of the same pecuniary value as the ownership in fee of land producing a net annual income of £\oo. The practical difference would be that the owner of the annuity, if he were a prudent man, would capitalize a portion of it, and in this way his net available income would be diminished. Mr. Wallace does not propose that any limit should be placed to the amount of land which an individual may hold, thinking that the prohibition of sub-letting would render all other legislative restriction unnecessary. One of his most distinguished disciples. Professor F. W. Newman, however, would render it illegal for any one person to hold more than five hundred acres. This modern Gracchus is somewhat less tender than Mr. Wallace with regard to vested interests. He compares Mr. Wallace’s proposal to the Sibyl’s offer to King Tarquin. If not listened to, less favourable terms will be offered next time. The most original and characteristic part of Mr. Wallace’s scheme is that by which he proposes to remedy the overpopu lation of towns, and draw back the people to the country, by offering to every one a free choice of cheap land. “ Every Englishman, ’ he says, “should be allowed once in his life to select a plot of land for his personal occupation. His right of choice will, of course, be limited to agricultural or waste land ; it will also be limited to land bordered by public roads affording access to it ; it will further be limited to a quantity of

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