LAND NATIONALISATION SOCIETY

The Pioneer Yellow Lecture Van of the Land Nationalisation Society visited Southall in July 1905, a good attendance was present for the lecture on the objective of the Society.

The Society was founded by Alfred Russell Wallace in March 1881, its journal was the "Land and Labour".

Alfred Wallace is best known as the codiscoverer, with Charles Darwin, of evolution by natural selection.

Alfred Russell Wallace was born on 23rd January 1823 at Usk, Wales and died on 7th November 1913 at the Old Orchard, Broadstone, Wimborne, Dorset. (picture below)

Propositions of this Society in 1882 were agreed as-

1.Unrestricted private property in land is inherently wrong, and leads to grievous and wide-spread evils.

2. In order that the land of the country may be free for the enjoyment of all its citizens to the fullest extent compatible with the well-being of the community, the following principles should be embodied in law:--The land alone in its inherent value, as dependent on natural conditions, means of communication, nearness to markets, is to become the property of the State; the houses, buildings, private roads, improvements, the property of the owner, and constitute his tenant-right. All land whatever must be held direct from the State, and solely for the personal use and enjoyment of the occupier; complete freedom in the choice of a home, and ample space whereon to build a dwelling-house, would be the greatest boon to the community, and are essential to the wealth and happiness of its individual members

3. In order that the community may reap the full benefit of the proposed system of land tenure as soon as possible, it is essential that the entire interest in the land of the country (as distinguished from tenant-right) should pass to the State by means of a general law, securing to all existing landowners and their heirs revenues equal to the annual value of the land apart from the tenant right."

William Gladstone (Speech at West Calder.)

"In my opinion, if it is known to be for the welfare of the community at large, the Legislature is perfectly entitled to buy out the landed proprietors. . . . Those persons who possess large portions of the earth's space are not altogether in the same position as the possessors of mere personalty.

Personalty does not impose limitations on the action and the industry of man and the well-being of the community as possession of land does, and therefore, I freely own that compulsory expropriation is admissible, and even sound in principle." -


Marx, Lenin and Adam Smith on land

Theories of Surplus Value, Marx reveals the “essence of different theories of rent”: the theory of the monopoly price of agricultural produce and the theory of differential rent. He shows what is true in both those theories, insofar as absolute rent contains an element of monopoly. Concerning Adam Smith’s theory: “it is quite true” that rent is monopoly price, insofar as the private ownership of land prevents the levelling of profit. by fixing profit at a level higher than the average.—Lenin