28 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



" It seems to me that the thing to be done at present is 

 to arouse public attention to (i) the abstract inequity of the 

 present condition of things ; (2) to show that even now there 

 is in our law a tacit denial of absolute private ownership, 

 since the State reserves the power of resuming possession of 

 land on making compensation ; (3) that this tacitly admitted 

 ownership ought to be overtly asserted ; (4) and that having 

 been overtly asserted, the landowner should be distinctly 

 placed in the position of a tenant of the State on something 

 like the terms proposed in your scheme : namely, that while 

 the land itself should be regarded as public property, such 

 value as has been given to it should vest in the existing 

 so-called owner. 



" The question is surrounded with such difficulties that I 

 fear anything like a specific scheme for resumption by the 

 State will tend, by the objections made, to prevent recogni- 

 tion of a general truth which might otherwise be admitted. 

 For example, in definitely making the proposed distinction 

 between * inherent value as dependent on natural conditions, 

 etc.,* and the * increased value given by the owner,' there is 

 raised the questions — How are the two to be distinguished ? 

 How far back are we to go in taking account of the labour 

 and money expended in giving fertility ? In respect of newly 

 enclosed tracts, some estimation may be made ; but in respect 

 of the greater part, long reduced to cultivation, I do not see 

 how the valuations, differing in all cases, are to be made. 



** I name this as one point ; and there are many others in 

 respect of which I do not see my way. It appears to me 

 that at present we are far off from the time at which action 

 may advantageously be taken. 



" Truly yours, 



"Herbert Spencer." 



On this I may remark that, during the twenty-five years 

 that has elapsed, the Land Nationalization Society has been 

 continuously at work, doing the very things that our critic 

 seemed to think ought to be done before we formed the 

 society. We have now " generated a body of public opinion 



