The Landowner 



Liberal party designs in the future to use death 

 duties as the means wherewith to tax landowners 

 out of existence, and also as a clever device 

 with which to begin the nationalisation of the 

 land — vide the clause in the Budget which 

 allows the duty to be actually paid in land. 



Great uncertainty seems to prevail with regard 

 to the requirements of Somerset House and 

 to the way in which the death duty schedules 

 should be filled up. 



I believe that a large number of estates pay 

 more in death duties than is necessary, and the 

 greatest good ensues where the landowner him- 

 self deals personally with the matter, provided 

 that he thoroughly understands the condition of 

 his estate and has all the figures at his fingers' 

 ends. It is often very difficult for the land- 

 owner's legal adviser thoroughly to understand 

 the condition of the property when called upon 

 suddenly to draw out the statement for death 

 duties. If the estate accounts are well kept he 

 can easily make a statement which may seem 

 correct but is not really so ; for it is far more 

 difficult to prepare a schedule of accounts in 

 connection with a large business in land than 

 it is to furnish like information in regard to any 

 other business. 



There are so many side issues which have to 

 be taken into account — items which even good 

 book-keeping is liable to omit, and which yet 



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