THE REMEDY FOR WANT. 389 



It is estimated that two pounds of bread a day is a full average for 

 the consumption per head, even if no other food is available. The 

 cost of this at 5d. the four-pound loaf would be 3 16s. a year, so 

 that to supply a million people the whole year would require 

 3,800,000. This might be enough, or there might be a demand of 

 double this; but the very fact of there being so large a want for 

 mere bread would incite to the adoption of permanent means by 

 which all could be rendered at least self-supporting; and for this 

 purpose the two millions of acres of land would be at once available 

 as a beginning. 



It will probably be objected that none of these millionaires will 

 give up their surplus wealth, how 7 ever piteously we may appeal to 

 them in the name of the suffering millions, from whose labor every 

 pound has been derived, and without whose labor they themselves 

 would be reduced to destitution. Perhaps it may be so. But, if so 

 it be, the people will know the characters of those whom they have 

 to deal with, and will be driven to use their power as voters to obtain 

 by the forms of law what they have not been able to obtain by 

 appeals to either the mercy or the justice of these rich men who, 

 while calling themselves Christians, will not part with their super- 

 fluity of gold and land even to give bread to the poor and needy, and 

 to save widows and the fatherless from misery and starvation. 



The means to do this is plain. They must vote for no candidate 

 who will not promise to support first, a progressive income-tax on 

 that portion of all incomes above 10,000, rising to 100 per cent, 

 on the surplus above 50,000, as here suggested; and, secondly, to 

 support a corresponding or even larger increase in the death duties. 

 The law now permits a man to disinherit his children, or other legal 

 heirs, whenever he chooses; and, in thus permitting him, recognizes 

 the important principle that no one has an indefeasible claim to suc- 

 ceed to any property whatever! For great public purposes, therefore, 

 the State may justly declare itself the heir to any proportion of the 

 property, or even to the whole property of deceased persons. But 

 the State w T ould at the same time recognize the duty which the 

 owner of property does not always recognize of providing for all 

 persons dependent on the deceased, either by means of an ample 

 annuity for those past middle life, or by a suitable education and 

 start in life for younger relatives or dependents, and for children. 



In this way ample funds would be available for the various pur- 

 poses here suggested, without really injuring anyone. These pur- 

 poses the abolition of starvation, penury, and the degraded life of 

 millions are the greatest and most important which any govern- 



