THE POOR DUKES !

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8608, 19 December 1913, Page 6

THE POOR DUKES !

It is to be hoped that no timid antiLiberal souls in New Zealand are losing valuable sleep over the cable nows recording the sale by tho Duke of Bedford of some of his property in London. A great deal has beensaid about capital leaving the country since the dreadful advent of “Lloyd-Georgism,” as some of the more rabid Tory journals describe the new democratic movements, hut we do not think the Duke of Bedford is going to be banished or exiled. According to “Who’s Who” ho possesses two ducal homes in Bedfordshire, one in Devonshire, and one in Belgravia square, London. He had until the other day over 41,000 acres of land, and tho latest sale is of only a very small, though highly valuable, area. It is satisfactory to be informed that the Duke “does not fear Mr Lloyd George's proposals so long as they do not cause downright confiscation,” and it is still more pleasing to know that m recent years His Grace has reduced his ownership of land from 87,000 to 41.000 acres. This is something like reform, and we heartily commend the Duke’s example to New Zealand squat-' tocracy in general. The Duke of Bedford is not the only one of his class who is amenable to reason, or to the persuasive influences of “Lloyd-Georg-ism,” for we have had accounts of the Duke of Sutherland endeavouring to *unload a small portion of bis vast estates upon the Chancellor of t*ho Exchequer—for a consideration. Our friends the dukes need have no fear of “downright confiscation.” That has no place—it never has had and could not have —in the programme of Liberalism. At tho same time, there is apparently sufficient moral force in the Liberal land campaign .to bring

about at least some movement towards a better distribution of tho land surface of tho United Kingdom. Two dukes even partly converted to land reform, though the conversion may be reluctant, is better than nothing. And we may rest content that neither of these gentlemen is likely to be driven to tile poorhouse or to have to go to Mr Lloyd Georgo and ask for tho old ago pension.