RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 92, 12 January 1935, Page 6

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (By Kickshaws.) Now that postal relations have .been resumed between China and Japan maybe the two countries will write each other a few more notes. « « « It may be true, as an American expert says, that great things are afloat but it does not seem to include sinking funds. * * * It is stated that a basis has been found for further disarmament discussions. What! does somebody want even more arms? * * * “Sunburn,” who has been spending the holidays on the beach and looking at the bathing costumes, asks for the quotation from Kipling’s “Gunga Din” that describes that famous character’s clothing. Here it is:— The uniform he wore Was nothin’ much before, An’ rather less than ’arf o’ that be’ind. "By the way,” he adds, "mere husbands and such-like poor males are getting their own back on the poor females who have not yet had a good look at themselves in a full-length, sideways mirror and still insist on wearing last year’s flannels. Even wives, sisters and daughters have very little to say in their defence—and we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves as being among the few who can wear trousers.”

News that tithe trouble is imminent in Kent, England, is not unexpected. The fact is that thousands of warrants for distraint on agricultural implements, furniture and other possessions of farmers have been made in England during the last six months or so. In East Anglia there are said to be nearly 2000 of these tithe orders outstanding. Court bailiffs have been working overtime. Judges have been refusing to make furflier orders until the existing ones have been carried out. Midnight raids by bailiffs'have been met by infuriated farmers armed with sticks and even guns. Trenches have been dag across farm approaches and gates have been buttressed with tree trunks. In several cases, the wire fences Lave been electrified. There is a sort of civil war in England at the moment over this tithe business. Farmers have organ- 1 ised themselves do resist paying what they have not got. The time cannot be very far distant when the whole question of tithes will have to be reconsidered.

The tithe trouble iu England has become so widespread that a Royal Commission has been set up to consider the matter. It is leisurely making its report after the manner of these commissions. The word "tithe” means no more than "tenth.” The rule that a tenth part of every man’s possession should be dedicated to sacred uses takes us back to the very early days of Jewish law. By the end of the fourth century, the tithe custom was firmly established in England as a religious duty, but there was no law enforcing a person fo pay tithes.

* * * ‘ Nevertheless, failure to pay tithes began to be punished by excommunication. It is only fair to point out that in those days the priests earned far more than their tithe money in the services rendered to the community by free education, poor relief, and medical attention. These are now State functions. Moreover, in those days, everyone paid tithes. The farmer, the craftsman, the professional man, all gave a tenth of tlieir incomes to the Church. As time went on everyone but the farmer got out of their obligations by the simple way of refusing to pay.

I'urtiier tithe complications occurred when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. He transferred many of the privileges of ‘‘tithe-owning” to his friends. The result to-day is that all tithes are not necessarily ecclesiastical ones. This masterpiece of generosity on the part of Henry VIII has enabled numerous universities, public institutions and the like to obtain a serviceable income. Curious as were these arrangements it is unlikely that trouble would have resulted even now because the farmer is not a man easily stirred.

The last straw that started tithe trouble appeared on the scenes iu 1925. Payments were stabilised in that year by Act of Parliament. This well-mean-ing effort on the part of legislative idealists has been to stabilise tithe payments at prices that ruled iu boom years. Prices have slumped since then. The farmer, however, is expected to pay as much in tithes with empty barns as he payed when his barns were bulging. This has caused bitterness to flare up in almost every agricultural district in England. Some curious anomalies have been caused by the stabilising of tithes which go to show that legislation should look before it takes a leap into the unknown.

The amount of tithe rent demanded annually in England is roughly £3,200,000 a year. In some districts the charges are negligible, in others they are enormous. In suffolk tithe lent averages eight shillings an acre. To free an acre from tithe, therefore, requires a payment of thirty years tithe rent or £l2 an acre. The average price of farms in Suffolk works out at £8 an acre. This means that if a farmer wished to sell his farm He would have to pay the purchaser £4 an acre—surely a curious state of affairs. In other words the capital value of the tithe is now greater than the capital value of the land. In many cases the whole profits of a farm are swallowed up in tithes. In one case a farmer had half his farm swallowed up by the sea. But by the Act of 1925, he still has to pay tithes on what the sea took. It is onlv fair to* add that the Church is not to blame for legislative blunders. It has a difficult task as trustee to thousands of poor incumbents whose sole income comes from tithes. The Church, in fact, has made remarkable concessions, amounting to £50.000 a year. * ♦ *

AA’ho bides his time, and day by day Faces defeat full patiently, And lifts a mirthful roundelay. However poor his fortunes be — He will not fail in any qualm Of poverty—the paltry dime It will grow golden in his palm. AVlio bides his time. AVho bides his time—he tastes the

sweet Of honey in the saltest tear; And though he fares with slowest feet. Joy runs to meet him, drawing nearTiie birds are heralds of his cause. And like a never-ending rhyme The roadsides bloom in his applause, AA’ho bides his time. —J. W. Riley.