Editorial: Raising the Wind. (1909)

Editorial from the June 1909 issue of the Socialist Standard

As expected, the Budget bids fair to take up most of the time of Parliament; but given the make-up of the “representatives of the people,” one way of killing time would seem to be as good as another. The Liberal Party, with Mr. Lloyd George’s land taxation, has taken one timid little step in the direction of the purely capitalist form of taxation. Were it not that Liberal manufacturer and Tory landlord are so very much akin one could conceive even of such an “extreme” budget as would so heavily tax land as to bring Nationalisation within reach. This reform so much advocated by your pseudo-Socialist of the I.L.P. and S.D.P., were it achieved, would, however, still leave the land at the disposal of the capitalist manufacturer and capitalist farmer, because of their power to outbid the workers in the payment of State rentals, so that the pretence of “land reform” we have heard so much of lately from the Liberal Press might well go much further without changing the relative positions of capitalists and wage-workers, and consequently the proposals, after all the fuss, resolve themselves simply into the question of how to pay for Dreadnoughts and other means of destruction and of class domination.

The taxation proposals, generally, are rather cutely drawn up, and much ostentatious “fairness to all classes” is paraded. Your average non-Socialist workman, if he has for the time being to pay a bit more for his smokes, has the satisfaction of feeling that he is not robbing his master, at least, and of course duly appreciates Mr. Lloyd George’s kind consideration in not overlooking him when presenting his little bill. Judging from the protestations of the Liberal Press one must conclude that the Liberal Party is, after all, the real best friend of the brewers. Are not they to reap many millions in additional profits as a result of the new taxation ? The Daily News and the rest of them provide complicated calculations demonstrating as much and these good people should know.

Meanwhile be it noted that the Labour Party is, as might be expected, duly helping to vote the capitalist class, through the Liberal Government, the means (upkeep of armed forces, judiciary, etc.) with which to maintain its class domination. Keir Hardie and his colleagues support this “Socialistic budget” of their friends the Liberals. They would not be enjoying the opportunity and fulfilling their obligations were it not for the Liberal votes and often organised Liberal support with which they were elected to Parliament.