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. 299 holdings for nothing, and have no idea of virtually paying rent to the State—not even to an Irish Republic—in aid of, or in substitution for, the general taxation of the community. It is just possible that the labourers, who are beginning to find out that they have gained no benefit from the recent agrarian legislation, and who assert with truth that the farmers are far harder masters than the landlords, may be led to adopt the Socialistic programme; but their present ideal is a better cottage and a plot of land. When they get the franchise they may make their voices better heard; but they lack “the sinews of war,” an essential for any successful agitation in Ireland. Indeed, neither farmers nor agricultural labourers in any of the three countries are likely to swell the cry for land nationali zation. In Scotland, the country perhaps most favourable to it, the Highland Land Law Reform Association, which lately (September, 1884) held a gathering of the clans at Dingwall, on behalf of the unfortunate Highland Crofters, is a far more infiuential organization than the Scottish Land Restoration League. Its programme, however, is not socialistic in any proper sense of the term. It merely asks for a law, somewhat similar to the Irish Land Act, to enable the Crofters to recover rights which they have but recently lost. Radical changes in the English Land Laws are pretty widely desired, but there is great divergence of opinion as to the direction which the particular changes should take. In 1882 the Trades Union Congress passed a resolution in favour of land nationalization, but this resolution was rescinded last year at Nottingham; and this year the congress at Aberdeen, while calling for a measure which would “ provide for greater security of tenure, compensation for improvements, and bringing the land within the reach of the people,” rejected an amendment intended to embody the principle of land nationalization. The Co-operative Congresses have given no encouragement to any scheme which does not embody the principle of compensation. Indeed, the question of compensation gives rise to an awkward dilemma : Without compensation, nationalization of the land is flagrantly unjust and quite hopeless ; with compensation, its

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