Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1889-05-16
slsoLs.rAx AGITATION
A Nxplasastsa sf the mss~mset IaMa.
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M hmptamaftan of the Mos~m~9t taaa.
Garaasa ~ asary oesEH@
We h.ar much nowadays ~ the
''siugls-tax' agitation There i a
''singlo-tax league. which has a con-
.ldorablc membership throughout the
'ountry public meetings la The In
lerssi - the "singie tar" are held.
and several newspapers and many
'Ooks advocating the ''single tax are
publish.d or have beeu published
What 1. this single tap"
u J.. In brief proposition to abolish
All taxation except that upon land. or
the value ~ land. II do.s not propose
that even buildings shall b. taxs-i. bat
hat all the TAXATION - the Nation. the
state and the municipality shall be- laid
upon the land alone. exactly In the
same measure. whether IA ba built
upon OF vacant. bat In proportion to
the value which IL pos-s.-es from near
ness 10 the eenters oi population or
busin.s.
The "single-tax" theory l. ha-sd
upon the dOctrine that the land right
fully belongs 10 all the people That
the exclusive possession Of land by
individuals i nol right and
that the separate Ownership u
land might b. mcrged into a -ort
oi l"int-stock ownership of the public
without injustice. wa- first suggested.
In England, by the social philosopher.
Herbert spencer The doetrine re-
cciycd a much iuller statement la this
country az the hand. Of Mr. Henry
GeorFe, in book called Progress and
Poverty. hr-t Published la is7g M
1corgo l. accounted the founder ~ the
-ingl"-tax system. and l. N. head and
front ~ the agitation.
Mr. George and his follower- main
tain that under thr present system u
prisat" ow nrr-hip ~ land. the burden
II poverty resting upoa the mass Of
mankind grow. heavier a. the world
makes material progress, that in spite
Of the increase la the worlds pro-
ductise po~rr, wages alway. tend a.
minimum Nhirh sill give bat a bare
living They hold Aal private owner
ship oi land, y ith The pri iyilcge ~ hold
ing u Tor speculative purposes aud Of
forcing up rents ss population aud Ia
dustry advance. has the effect 81 pat a
monopoly ~ natural opportunities into
the hands Of the land-oSner- The
natural opportunities being thu.
monopulifed. lahorcr- arr compelled IA
c"mpet" with each other to such an ex-
teui A. to forcr wages down to the low-
est possible poiut
A. they bold that wage- 81 all classes
- laborers depend upon N. productive
cultivation oi N. soil. Mr. Gcorrs and
bis followers maintain that the true
remedy ior poverty Is ~ make she land
common property
They do not, however, proposes 10
disturb the occupants ~ land. ~ long
a. the occupants make full u-c of their
Land. They proposs, on M. contrary.
to ALLOW the possc-sors - the soil "a
continue 10 buy and -ell and b.queath
a. But they do propose % take ali the
rcnt by taxafloa 10 do this wouli
r'ske N" occupant ~ the land a ten
ant paying rent Ia the state
THIS proposition. which was ar-t
known under the name ~ LAND ma
tionali zaiion. has sincc. by the CON.
mon consent % u. adYocate-. b,come
known ~ the "single-tax' movement.
the efforts ~ 10 friends having been al
r,rt"d morv specifically to the aboll.
tioa 81 all other forms ~ taxation
They hold that the removal ~ taxation
from Industries in general would stimu-
late manufactures aad business. Al the
same time that it destroyed spccula.
tlon in land. IA such an extent that the
general prosperity would b. immensely
Increased and wages greatly raj I'D.
They hold that the revenue from the
single tax would b. 80 large a. to ena.
bic the Government to maintain schools
and colleges. build and operate rail
roads and ,elegraph-, and DO many
thing- which u does not nov engage
Ia
Their plan. also. ~ course. hving a
single tax" involves the abolition II
tariffs upon import- The ''singlc-tax"
men ar. absolute frec-traders
The agitation ior the single tar"
or against private ownership of land.
h BY no means confined 20 the United
states. II has made much headw az In
Great Briiain. aud i very strong In the
Australian. colonies. where one colony.
south Australia, has by law limited
municipal taxation % unlmprovod Land
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