The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-15
LITER A TURE.
A Social Economists Land Tax
Cure for Poverty.
SWINBURNE'S SHAKESPEARE STUDY.
Dramatic Books-Biography-War in a
VIage-Book Gossip
"pRoGREss AND POVERTY. "


We have received from Messrs. Appleton advance
sheets OF an interesting and in respects mpor
tant and novel study of political economy by well
known pubicist of California. The title of the book
is Progress and Poverty; Inquiry into the Cause
of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want
with Increase of wealth--The Remedy" by Henry
George.
Mr.. George is one of the few men Of brains who
have undertaken to consider in sympathetic spirit
the questions relation to labor and capital which
somewhat brutally and ignorantly forced under
the public nose by the so-called communists OF the
United States. from Dennis kearney to the Rev. Mr.
De La Matyr. His book of 5l2 pages is too large
for general reading and fair and honest for the
acceptance Of the ignorant leaders OF communism.
but 1t is worth the careful study OF readers who
wish to make themselves acquainted with
the grievances Of a large and increasing mass OF
lsboring men, and with the remedies proposed by
one who is in full sympathy with them. but who
has BRAINS knowledge and experience. which they
have not, to enable him to make contribution Of
considerable value to the study of the questions In
volved.
Communism, so called, has made little Roadway in
this country partly because for intelligent
laboring still varied and numerous
among us; partly because the attempt to transfer
European communistic ideas to this country has
very properly excited only the disgust of labor
ing men. who want to improve their own condition
and do not want to tear down society, but
largely also because the socialistic labor
people have carefully avoided the OF brains.
They have preferred Dennis Kearney and De La
Matyr to the shallowest political economists.
1t is advantage unsought by them that they now
find at their service Mr. George. who is man
of brains, OF study and of ability to think
secutively. Unfortunately for him. he will probably
be cast out by the sociastc labor agtaors because
he does not go far enough for them.
And yet the world at large will think he goes
long way, and he may find himself denounced by
both sides. What he proposes is that ownership
land far rs ownership carries the right Of profit,
shall entirely He would probably define his
proposition prohibition of land speculation He
would have the State levy every piece of real
estate a tax equal to its entire rental value;
Guiding. however, the value Of the improvements
upon it, If any. Thus the owner of house and lot
might ask and receive whatever rent he could get
for its occupancy, but the State should draw from
him for its share that part Of his receipts which
represented the land-the lot which the house
stands. In like manner. il the owner himself
the occupant he should pay his the rental Of
the land; and the same would hold good of FARMS
and even rather especially. Of unused lands such
Is the vast number of vacant building lots in our
cities and the great amount of country real estate
"held for rise
We have not space to trace out the theory
which Mr.. George POUNDS this proposition 1t will
be sufficient to say that he regards the great calamity
OF modern civilization-that under it the rich grow
richer and the poor poorer-a result which is the
confessed blot social system-as caused
mainly. il not altogether. by ownership in land and
the protection of land grabbing and land specula-
ton. During an era of prosperity land rises in
price; it is bought up rapidly by speculators-not to
1tf< 1.oI1 ,l.l.
prices of real estate driven upward. until at
last 1t reaches to beyond The point where "rent
the price OF use. is too high, and then. says Mr..
George. the commercial and industrial crisis comes
not because men, the mass of men, want to con-
sumo fewer products, nor because they refuse to
produce. both production and consumption be-
ing ready to go on as before, but
land has become too dear for the uses which men
put it to, and its improvement, the foundation
of'all industry, is checked Thus, he adds, we 20
On in alternating cycles OF good times and hard times
Of prosperity when land is cheap and stagnation
when land speculation has run riot; prosperity re-
turning only when the capital of the nation had
time to accumulate and land to "go down" in price.
until the terms meet
For the elaboration OF this not very simple theory
we must refer our readers TO the book itself. Mr..
Georges remedy We may describe somewhat more
in detail He would, in the first place. abolish all
taxes except those on land. That is to say.
he would draw, in this country. the entire
revenue OF the States, the federal government and
the local municipalities from the land tax. abolish
ing all licenses. tariffs personal property taxes
This. he remarks. would at relieve industry of
many burdens and relieve legislative bodies of
great part of their present business, aud that part
which they confessedly do least well. 1t would at
the same time purify politics. Here is the plan
proposed by Mr. George:-
do not propose either to purchase to confs-
cate private property in land The first would be
unjust, the second needless. Let the indi uals
who hold it still retain, IL they want to- pos
session of what they pleased TO call their land.
Let them continue to call 1t their land Let them
buy aud sell and bequeath and devise IL. We may
safely leave them the shell il take the kernel 1t
is not necessary to conscate land; IL is only
sary to confscate rent. Nor to take publ
uses Is IL necessary that the State should bother
with the letting OF lands and assume the chances Of
the favoritism. collision aud corruption that might
Involve II is not necessary that any machinery
should be created. Tho machinery already exists.
Instead of extending 1t all have to do is sim
pity and reduce it. By leaving to landowners per-
centage of rent which would probably be much less
than the cost and loss involved in attempting
lands through State agency. and by making use
OF this existing machinery. we may, without
jar or shock. assert the right to |
land by taking rent for public uses. We already
take'some rent in taxation. We have only to make
some changes in modes of taxation to take it
all. What l. therefore, propose as a simple vet SOW
ereign remedy which will raise wages. the
earnings of capital, extirpaie pauperisn abolish
poverty. give remuneratiye employment to whoever
wishes IT, afford free scope to human powers lessen
crime elevate morals. and taste, and nteiligence
purify government and carry civilization to vet
nobler heights is-to appropriate rent by taxation
In this way the state may become the universal
landlord without calling herself and without
assuming single new function l., form the owner
ship of land would remain just as now. No owner
OF land need DO dispossessed and restriction need
be placed upon the amount of land any one could
hold.
We have space left only to state Tow OF the au.
thor's justihcatory propositions First. he asserts
that under the present system men taxed or
fined for improving their and-which is true
enough; under his system they would be taxed only
FOR the increased value given by tho advantageous
location, which. as he says. is the improvement
made not by TIE owner. put by the general commu-
nifty. lit is tho taking by the community. for the
use OF the community, of that value which is tho
.reaton Of the community. II Is the application Of