Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-25
THE SINGLE tax
What the Phrase Means-Lpc;a =
PLANTATION of the Theory "a


We hear much NOWADAYS Of tbo d.
gle tax" agitation. There is ..s;;n Nm
Tax" league, which has eons;5.,,Eie
membership throughout the con 1,aUle
public meetings in the interest," ~ ";
''Single Tax" are held, and several + r,l 'ne
papers aud many books ADVOCATING ~ "
Single Ta.S" are published OF baTss ta eus
published. What is this ..sinole te ess i
1t is, in brief, a proposition 10 abol'1
all taxation except that upon land
the value Of land. 1t does not nro5. y
that even buildings shall be taxed t..
that all the taxation Of the nation ~ ~
State, and the municipality Shall be ls aI
upon the land alone, exactly In tbe sam ~
measure. whether it be built unm ~'s
vacant, but in proportion to tbe ya,ra
which it possesses from nearpess n ts
centres of population or business '
The 'Single Tax" theory is based upo
the doctrine that the land rightfullv N
longs to all the people. That fbe -
elusive possession OF land by indiyidvs,
is not right, and that the separate ovn
ership of land might be merged inta )
sort Of joint stock ownership Of the mi
lie without injustice, was first suggested
in England, by the social pllilosopbe,
Herbert Spencer. The doctrine received
a much fuller statement in this eomi,~
at the hands OF Mr.. Henry George M
book called Progress and Poverty
first published in 1879. Mr.. George I
accounted the. founder of the ..Snda
Tax" system, and is the head and f@t
Of the agitation.
Mr.. George and his followers main.
tain that, under the present system 4
private ownership Of land, the burdepd
poverty resting upon the mass Of MAN.
kind grows heavier as the world makes
material progress; that in spite Of te
increase III the worlds productive
power, wages always tend to minimum
which will give but a bare living. Tley
hold that private ownership of land
with the privilege Of holding it Tor spe.
ulative purposes and Of forcing up rents
as population and industry advance. has
the effect to put monopoly Of natural
opportunities into the hands ofthe land
owners. The natural opportunities te.
ing thus monopolized, laborefs are CON.
PEELED to compete with each other 70
such an extent us to force wages doWnto
the lowest possible point.
As they hold that wages ofall elassesd
laborers depend upon the productive
cultivation OF the soil, Mr.. George and
his followers maintain that the true
remedy for poverty is to make the land
common property.
They do not, however, propose to
disturb the occupants Of land, 50 lmgas
the occupants make full use Of Their
land. They propose, on the contrary
to allow the possessors Of the soil con-
Time to buy and sell and beque,th it
But they do propose to take all the rent
by taxation. To do this would make
the occupant of the land tenant pay
ing rent to the State.
This proposition, which was first
known under the name of 'sland nation
has since, by the common
consent of its advocates, become known
ms the "Single Tax" movement, the
efforts Of its friends having been direct
cd more specifically to the abolition q
all other forms of taxation. They hold
that the removal Of taxation from indus
tries in general would stimulate manu-
features and business, at the slme time
that it destroyed speculation in land to
such an extent that the general pcs-
pelity would be immensely increased
and wages greatly raised.
They hold that the revenue from me
Single Tax would be so large az toenare
the government to maintain schools md
colleges, build and operate railroads
and telegraphs, and do many things
which it docs not now engage M
T0uths Companion.