WCP485

[1]¹

Dr Russel Wallace Esq

Dear Sir

Although not of your acquaintance, I must heartily wish you many Happy Returns of your Birth Day.

I notice from the Yorkshire Evening Post, you have had a large, long & varied experience [2] of this world & its peoples. There I shall greatly esteem your opinion, of the inclosed[sic] endeavour to enlighten somewhat, the present generation, & I fear with all our increased laws & sanitation, that the people are more & more neglecting home & bodly[sic] cleanliness, for while houses have been plentifull, a many remove to get a newly papered house, instead of cleaning their present one, Yorkshire formerly & is at present so far as the [3] majority is concerned, are still house proud, but the dirty carless[sic[ ones, I fear are greatly increasing, one cause if the check in Leeds especially to cooperation cotage[sic] building, which enables a working man to own his own house, also the check to speculation building, owing to the action of our government in respect to Land Taxation, which above all else should be free, as all capital & labour must come from what it produces, therefore the greater the burden is put [4] upon it, the greater must be the reluctance of people to invest in it.

I have 10 acres almost in the centre of this town, but no one dare to ask the price of it, in Leeds it is the same no one will buy what the government is taxing & eventually instead of private enterprise, the government will have to provide houses, when more neglectfull[sic] still will the tennants become of booth home & body interiors, the outward appearance being no indication of what is behind the walls & clothes.

Again hoping you may live & happy [1 word illeg.] thing of your past I having just seen two thirds of three. | Yours faithfully | W. H. Baxter [signature]