St. Landry democrat., 1888-01-28
"UNEARNED INCREMENT"
Editor DEMOCRAT

LQIIOE DEMOChAI -
The tariff question has been forced to
the front. It has come to stay. A re-
| ducti0R of duties on imports is but the
entering wedge. If protectioD be good
thing, the more of it we have, the bet
ter; but if it be bad thing, we should
| have none Of it. This much can be
said: If it is sound policy to restrict
| trade in any manner, it is difficult for
son for eXpending vast sums to i'm
prove harbors the contrary policy of
obstructing channels would seem to be
the wiser.
If a tariff for revenue be the only le-
Ultimate object of tariff, then the
question comes up as to whether a duty
on imports is the best and cheapest
| method of raising revenue. Upon this
point this writer expresses no opinion.
He simply wishes to call attention to q
new school of political economists
which seems to be attracting a good
deal of attention at present.
The proposition of this new school is
to tax what it styles the unearned in
crement. 1t is alleged that land with
out population has no value. The first
men who arrivein q new country take
possession of any spot which suits their
fancy without price. When enough
men have arrived in the country to
take up the best land, others will be
willing TO pay a small price for good
land rather than take poor land. AS
population increases, land values rise.
In anticipation Of the growth Of popu--
lation men take possession of land
which they have no intention of using,
but with the expectation of selling
when population shall have given value
to it. Thus it is alleged that men have
obtained possession of land in many
cases at nominal price which after
forwards became the cites of populous
cities. Without the expenditure of a dol
lar of labor, this land came to have an
enormous value. This value was the
joint product of the labor and money of
the entire community, and on the priu-
ciple that an individual ought to have
whatever he can earn or produce, to the
whole community ought to belong that
which the community has produced.
A house or anything else produced by
the individual ought not to be taxed,
these mon allege. Because in building
house the individual has done the
community no injury, but on the con-
trary has conferred benefit on society.
and, therefore, ought not to be fined.
The owner of three lots sold the first
for $1,000. The purchaser erected an
elegant mansion on it. The adjoining
lot became more desirable on this ac-
81 900; the third lot was sold for $140O.
But, before the city began to be built
the lots had DO value; began to have
value when the city was laid out; in
creased in value with the growth of
population, and whatever value they
possessed was given to them by the
joint labor Of the community. This is
what these people call the Tn-earned
Increment. They propose to tax this
value produced by the whole communi-
ty for the benefit of those who produced
the value and abolish all other
forms Of taxation. They allege
that vast number of houses
in New York and other cities were
built by men and are owned by men to
whom the land does not belong They |
allege that revenue ample for all pur-
poses of government-greatly 10 excess
of any nse for which government is sup
posed to have revenue as society is now |
be raised by this means.
To tax any thing produced by the labor
of man, whether of muscle or brain is
iniauito4s. They hold on the other |
hand that no individual 10 fairly en- |
titled to value produced by the COM
This writer expresses no opinion of
his own concerning the doctrines Of |
this new school; nor does he seek e e !
commit You to tileM. He simply de-
sires to set people to thinking. The |
times are out of joint, and it behooves
Us to consider any scheme which prom
lses to avert any danger which threat
ems our civilization,
'RUsTIcUs.r