Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1883-06-10
THE LAND THEORY Oh
HENRY GEOEGE.
IT'S Justice Considered.

it, and advantages of situation
resulting from society, has an
inherent com mercial value
which advances without refer
ence to the amount Of labor ex-
pended upon the soil ; and that
rent and its increase are due to
intrinsic qualities of the land
and not to advantages artifcially
created.
N0w I submit that land in its
natural state, ASSOCIATED. from Ia
Dor, has no commercial cGtue J;
and that land-vakases and dd-
vance Of rent do not depend upon
the qualities Of the soil, or its nat
.sral advantages, but Upon the
amount of labor stored aaooy an
1t, and upon social end economic
opportunities entirely created by
man. Wherever land has an
exchange value it may be traced
to improvements made OF idNoi
expended by man.
Undoubtedly the chemical
properties of the sell are great
factors in production, and are Of
vast importance to life; SD also
are light, water and air. But
the chemical properties of the
soil are not permanent. They
are constantly changing; are
soon exhausted and must be re-
pienished as often al least as
once in ten years, or the soil
will become sterile and unprO-
ductive. What vast acres Of
fertile land have been wsrn out
by cultivation! With what con-
slant diligence the htsbandnan
must dress his fields to preserve
their fertility. How many times
have the cultivated lands OF Eu-
rope and Asia and even Amer
lea been exhausted, and who
can trace the fruits or the chem
ical constituents Of the print
tive soil ? But becanseages ago,
men appropriated land, and en-
ioyed the fertile properties then
contained in the soil, is that any
reason why present ownsrs, who
have expended money in buying
or labor in improving o. replen-
ishing the land, should be de-
prived Of it now?
That the value of land in its
natural state is nominal merely,
is demonstrate in another way !:
There are in hospitable chimes
millions Of acres Of fruitful soil
that, the hand of man has never
touched. 1t is open to occupa-
ton and free to use, exempt
from rent. The markets Of the
wsrld are open, and demand
everywhere exists for products
of the soil. Yet the lands are
unclaimed, and a million acres
could not be exchanged for a
penny or a pound of -four. In
the Empire Of Brazil, in a salu-
brious climate, with society es.
tablished and laws for the pres
ervation of private rights vigor :
cusly enforced, land Is not only,
free, but a premium is offered to
those pho aSN settle upon 1t. In
the United States Of America as
good land as lies under the sun,
can be purchased for one dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre,
and may be occupied without
purchase free of rent. Much OF
this land has social and econ
omic advantages and facilities
for exchange, and a greatly i'm
proved condition created by la
Dor. Yet this land, in the grand.
est country on earth, surround
ed by free institutions, present
ing the greatest and noblest op.
portunities, lies idle and un-
claimed; while in London and
New York, land Of inferior nat.
ursl qualities, has an exchange
value Of thousands, and some
times millions of dollars per acre.
That this enormous difference,
is not due to natural qualities Of
soil, or to natural advantages o.
location, may be seen ct a glance
What natural advantage has
London over hundreds OF place:
where land can be had for ths
taking? Indeed, what advan
tage has the soil upon which
London is built, over soil of thu
same quality, anywhere within
the habitable regions of thu
globe ? Besides, the soil of Lon
don is not pat to its natural uses
1t yields nothing. Its produc-
tive qualities lie dormant. 1t
sole use and value is to supper
the works of man. And shoult
London be deserted, and he
atructuros cr,,,N hlo In dec.v a.