Note 1221 — Chapter II · : THE THEORY OF RENT AND ITS APPLICATIONS

A similar idea underlies Gide’s proposal in an article contributed to the Journal des Économistes for July 1883. “The State would offer to buy the land and pay for it on the basis of ninety-nine years’ purchase. There is reason to think that hardly a buyer would be found who would refuse such an offer coupled with a slight compensation, for ninety-nine years is the equivalent of perpetuity as far as the individual is concerned. There would be nothing mean about such a price; really it would be more of a gift to the proprietor.”