Assaults on Land.

Consequently I oppose the subtle and persistent attempts now being carried on here by disciples of Henry George to nationalise land, and make its owners pay all the taxation of the Colony. That done, without fair compensation, and as an absolute necessity of State, like the taking of land for forts and roads, would violate the 29th chapter of Magna Charta, which provides that "No freeman shall be . . . . deprived of his freehold" etc., etc. Single taxers say, "We will not take the land, but only the using value, or unearned increment;" but that means the same thing, and they only put it that way because the plain truth would arouse freeholders to resist the premeditated robbery. But while I would prevent the landless from confiscating to the State the using value or unearned increment of the land, I would give landlords no advantage over tenants. Now if a retail grocer, butcher, or bookseller, or other trader supplies goods to his landlord worth, say, £20, he can only sue for recovery of the debt, page 22 and if the landlord fail before his creditor gets paid, he must accept a dividend like the rest. But the landlord can distrain or assert a preference over other creditors. That does not seem to me to be fair and equal, and is a relic of those times when landlords could legislate as they pleased.