Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-09
THE SINGLE TAX IDEA.
What Delegate Hemingway Says Of the
Conference In New York Last Week.

Mr.. C. b Hemingway has returned from
New York, whore he was in attendance as
q delegate to the single tai conference. which
held its sessions in Cooper Union last week.
To q STAR reporter he said:
THE rapid and wide spread growth OF the
single tax idea is evidenced by the fact that
there was in attendance at the conference
about 500 delegates, representing nearly every
state and territory in the Union. The chief OBJ
jects for which we came together were TO or
ganize a national association Of single tax
leagues. to adopt a declaration OF principles
and to appoint national committee. We also
conferred a. to the best methods Of promoting
our cause.
I'VE have no intention OF undertaking n
third party movement Our experience in n
in New York taught us a most valuable lesson,
by which We will profit We will, instead,
power and by threats of opposition to those
who will not support our measures and prom
Uses of support to those who support our meas
ures endeayor TO compel sitting legislators OF
either party to do our work. Already in many
centers Of population We have sufficient power
to achieve success on this line. In fact we have
already won our frst victory. In '76 Henry
George first publicly advocated the adoption OF
the Australian ballot law. The Manhattan Sin
gle Tax Club of New York commenced an agi-
bill at two sessions, only to be vetoed by Gov.
Hill, and finally, during the third session, COM
PEELED him to sign 1t. They were finally aided
by number of other reform clubs but the
active men In each of those clubs and the mon
who did the work were almost all single tax
men. We were once generally regarded Cat the
instance Of Interested parties) a. anarchists and
what net, but our advocacy of the foregoing
and other practical reform measures has turned
the tide OF public sentiment and We are rapidly
coming to be regarded as the true con-
SENATORS OF society, and il is now most
respectable to be single tax man in many
places. The average newspaper editor is
coming to understand us better and to give
us fair and considerate treatment. Nearly
overy New York daily gave US n column and up
ward each day. and the World was quite COM
prehensive In Its reports. The Times about o
week ago in column and-a-haf editorial, after
fairly stating what the single tax is, declared
that it embodied the ideal Of taxation.
The membership Of our clubs does not be-
gin to represent the full strength Of our move
nent any more than does that Of the great po-
ltical parties. Outside of the clubs there are
an immense number OF people who have q more
or less clear conception of our principles and
who can be relied OH to support our measures
whenever the time for action is rife. Through
out all the great labor organizations especially
are these people to be found, and you would be
surprised to know how many of the influential
labor leaders are single tax men.
Il don't hesitate to predict that within very
very few years, perhaps four or six the ques-
ton OF the abolition OF all taxes except that on
the potential value of land will be as widely
agitated is the tariff reform today; and,
once up, it will not down until it il settled in
the only possible way-by being written in our
statute books. Ajax on the potential rental value
OF land Is the only just tax, and the only solu-
ton OF the labor problem (not 10 mention other
problems) lies in abolishing all other forms OF
taxatiop.",..