AGRARIAN REFORM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3588, 31 March 1886, Page 4

AGRARIAN REFORM.

Tho question of land reform m England is being pushed forward with extremo persistency by the leaders of the Radical party, such as Mr Chamberlain and Mr Collings. They boldly purpose a "leasehold enfranchisement," which shnll consist of a compu'sory taking of land by tho state under tho power of eminent domain, and tho sale of it to the tenant. Tho English newspapers are debating tho question at what price the land shall be taken. The Radicals iii3i?t thnt it shall be taken at tho lowest market price. The Conservatives insist that it shall be at the value of the land to the owner. The latter proposition is tho sheerest nonsense. The value of tho land to the owner may mean any price that tho owner may clioose'to set upon it. Such a provision is an agrarian law would render it completely nugatory, since the tenant could never afford to pay what the landlord would have greed to demand and tho prower to prove, as tho valuo of the and to him. This new übb which it is purposed to make the power of eminent domain is a thing to which wo will havo to como m the United States sooner or later. When we abolished the law of primogeniture, we thought we had abolished an institution which alono prevented tho distribution of land among tho people. After a hundred years' experience, we havo seen that the abolition of primogeniture has not been effectual to securo this end. It will not be, as long as the power of divising all of one's property to a single person is allowed to remain m our law. Nor will tho abolition of thi3 power m all eases bo effectual. There aro m this country, evon m new States, like Kansas, Texas, and California — perhaps m the new states more than the old ones — large tracts of land owned by single individuals and unused, to tho detriment of landless masses. These tho state ought to take possession of undpr an agrarian law nnd rj-sell at auction m small tracts to the highest bidder, paying tho proceeds of the s.ilo to the late owner. — American Lam Itcriew.