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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SOCIALISM IN ENGLAND. 297 not less than one acre or more than five acres, and will cease on any estate from which a fixed proportion, say ten per cent, of the whole, has been taken, while it should not apply at all to very small holdings ; and finally, it will be limited by proximity to the dwelling of the occupier of the land, so as to subject him to no unnecessary annoyance.” All questions arising out of this curious, but in many ways attractive, scheme (and they would be numerous) would be settled by local courts of the same character as the Sub-Commissions under the Irish Land Act Mr. Wallace calculates that perhaps, as a maximum, one and a half million families would take advantage of this right of pre-emption, to the extent of three million acres, or one-tenth of the whole agricultural land of the country, within the first ten years. A society called the “ Land Nationalization Society ” has been formed under the presidency of Mr. Wallace, with the object of carrying out his scheme. In his address at the third annual meeting of this Society, held in June, 1884, Mr. Wallace maintained that Mr. George’s remedy—the appropria tion of the whole ground-rent for common purposes—would not have the effect of redressing the fundamental wrong, the monopoly of land by the few, nor of securing the fundamental necessity, free access for all to the land. “ It would not,” he said “ give the labourers land, and therefore would not raise wages. It would tend, on the contrary, to intensify the monopoly of land, because the landlords, possessing the houses and other improvements as well as the land, would raise the price of these improvements to recover what they had lost in taxation. And this could not be prevented, because the owners of a necessary of life are masters of the situation, and can command any prices which those who must have these necessaries are able to pay. It is, therefore, absolutely im possible that such a course as Mr. George proposes should produce any good whatever.” Mr. Wallace’s Society has lost some of its most energetic members, who were unable “ to concur with its consideration to landlords or other principles.” These seceders, early in 1883, formed the “Land Reform Union,” a society already

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