San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-07-23
The Exclusive Taxation of Land.

which, perhaps, created the creates
furore known in political economical
circles since Adam Smith published
his "Wealth of Nations.
Mr.. George was very radical ir hi
position, his chief theory being tina
land was everybody's natural right
that there was no justice in privat,
ownership in land; that the nationa
government should be the proprietor
and that owners, holding land in thei
own name, should hold it us tenants
paying unto the national governmen
rent for the use of the land, and thii
rent should be the only known Ia,
which the government could levy up
on the people.
Mr.. George has been lecturing, the
last year, in England, Ireland ant
Scotland, on the Naturalization o.
Land, and he has won many distin
guished converts to his cause In the
current number of the North Ameri,
can Review he holds conversation
with Mr.. David Dudley Field on
Land and Taxation We regret
that we cannot publish the entire ar,
ticle, as we believe many have misun.
derstood Mr.. Georges position, and,
not thoroughly reading him, have
branded him as an out-and-out com.
munist, and dangerous man among
the masses. We do not so regard
him, even though we may not, per
haps, endorse all his positions. We
purpose to give running summary
of that position, as stated in the July
number of the North American Re-
view:
He would abolish all other taxes,
and concentrate taxation upon land
values. Each owner would be taxed
upon the value of his land, and not
upon the value of his improvements
and stock. The value of land is not
really increased by cultivation. The
value that cultivation adds is value
of improvement, which will be OK
empted. He would ascertain the value
of land by it's selling price; he would
tax that value which is created by the
growth Of the community - not that
created by individual effort. He says; /;
"Land has no value on account of
improvements made upon it, or OH &C.
count of it's natural capabilities. 1t
is as population increases and society
develops, that land values appear,
and they rise in proportion to the
growth of population and social de-
velopment. Where set
tier takes up o quarter-section on
western prairie and improves it, his
land has no value so long as other
land of the same quality can be had
for nothing. The value he creates is
merely the value Of Improvement; but
when population comes, then arises
the value that attaches to the land
itself. That is the value / would tax"
He would tax the farmer whose farm
is worth one thousand dollars, as
heavily as he would tax the adjoining
who, with the same guam
tity of land, has added improvements
worth one hundred thousand dollars,
because these improvements would
not harm the former, but would ben
eft the whole community; and he
would not discourage improvements
by taxation. Land titles would re-
main as at present. He would make
The community the real owner of the
and, and the various nominal owners
virtually tenants, paying ground rent
N the shape Of taxes
In cases where it was necessary to
the relations of mortgagee
md mortgagor in the matter of taxa
ion, he would treat them as joint
owners.
Mr.. FIELD.-If you would have IT,
les as now, then A, who owns o ten
thousand dollar house and lot in the
,ity, would still continue to be the
,wner, rs he is ut PRESENT.
Mr.. GEORGE. He would still con-
,inue to be the owner, but as taxes
we're increased upon land values he
would, while still continuing to enjoy
he full ownership of the house, de-
i've less ond less of the pecuniary
benefits of the ownership of the lot,
which would go in larger and larger
to the state, until, II the
axation of land values were carried
o the point of appropriating them
the state would derive all !
hose benefits, and, though nominally
till the owner, he would become in
eality tenant with assured posses
ion so long as he continued to pay
be tax. which might then become in
1rm, as it would be ia essence,
round rent.
When asked to what purpose he
'ould put the money raised by this
cheme Of taxation, he said, 10 the or /.
mary expenses Of government; the
Of public parks, libraries, /,
Olleges, etc; to the care Of the sick ,
nd needy. the support Of widows
nd orphans, and probably to the
ayment Of a fixed sum TO every citi- !,
en- when he came 10 certain de
age. ntbe rental Of land
J any community were FIVE per cent
( It's value, that would be the tax
rat tbe land would be expected TO Q
az. This scheme would contem- /.
ate the raising Of nearly four times