New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-26
LAND AND LABOR.


Mr.. Henry George is one of that dangerous
class of men, the earnest people who have half
thought things out. His work is sometimes
striking. but generally crude. Still he ranks
higher than most of those who have
undertaken to advocate what is called the
cause of labor as against capital. SO,
when he unfolded once more his views
before the Senate Committee, although the
performance was idle. since the committee
might much better have read his book and
called that Testimony" still 1t was not silly
for he really had some ideas to present
MIR. George believes that the root OF all IN
dustral evil ia the monopoly OF land. NO
person ought to have property In land' no
thinks, because nobody created or made It;
land ought to be as free as air, the common
property of all who are willing to use 1t. In
order to prevent its unproductive use or pos
session, he would have all taxes OF all kinds
shifted to the land alone, buildings and all
nersoral property exempted, and taxes on I'm
ports and processes Of production repeated.
This. he ia sure, would cliff" the working
people as a body. But all attempts by organ
ization of trades unions or by strikes to lit
one class of workers alone must necessarily
fail. If the condition of that class is Temporal
rily improved, other workmen rush into 1t IN
such numbers that the wages must soon be
depressed again.
II would be well for the workingmen OF
this country if they could fully appreciate Mr..
Georges opinion regarding trades unions ana
strikes 1t is the fact, as he claims, that
there is a necessary relation between workers
of different classes, SO that no class can be
lii x4-Ith
to Others, and ultimate injury to those at first
benefited. If this vital fact could be clearly
understood by working people generally, 1t
would save them vast deal or waste ana
sacrifice, of which they now perceive but
small part.
But Mr.. Georges views about taxation are
not merely impracticable but unreasonable.
There is no justice in exempting from taxa
ton the splendid mansions of the Nanderbllts,
or the costly palaces of business erected by
insurance companies, banks or merchants.
Nor Is there any sense IN aboiishlns taxes on
whiskey, beer and tobacco, or the duties on
goods which, by reason OF those duties, home
industry is enabled ultimately to produce
cheaper than foreign competitors The notion
that all taxes should be put upon land is
wildly impractcaOle, i'll view OF the great pre-
ponderance OF landhOlders in all legislative
bodies If we ever come to have congress
or legislature of Sansculottes or OF Lack
lands, and the experiment proposed by Mr..
George is tried, il will be found that III
single year the same men who have passed
the law will have become landhOlders, and
will repeal it. In country where there
re ally is no monopoly in land, and where vast
trac can be taken under the Homestead
Act, or bought for taxes even IN some OF the
older States or rented at a mere nominal
charge, the notion that monopoly OF land is
at the bottom Of all evil is refreshlDgly alb
surd.
On the other hand there Is not little sound
sense in the i'd ca that land not occupied for
productive uses ought to be roundly taxed.
Men or corporations holding lands for specu-
laton and keeping them off the market for
wears in order that the industry and enterprise
of others may multiply their value, ought to
he 80 taxed that at least part of their gains
may go to the common benefit. There Is no
| communism in this proposal on the contrary,
| it would be for the benefit OF all property To
make the taxes on unimproved and unoccupled
| land so high that the inducement would DO
| strong to improve or occupy 1t, or to part
| with it to those who would improve or occupy.
| Nearly every State has been cursed with e1-
cessive land speculation, and almost every
| city is girdled with unoccupied lands held at
| fancy prices, so that the natural expansion
| for business or residence purposes Is prevented
Perhaps no city has suffered more in this way
| than New York. But the evil is everywhere
| seen, and some legislation to prevent 1t might
| not be unwise.