Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-06-05
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
TIME TO BE PRACTICABLE.
Single Tax VIII Soon Receive the Atten
tion of Nakers

PonCe III the Work OF spreading the
night has been considerable. beg the
privilege of the columns of The Stand
ara Tor few remarks. In the earlier
uays OF the movement. before the estab-
hshment of The Standard, matters usu-
ally discussed by those to whom the
knowledge had come through reading
Social Problems" Progress and Pow
erty, etc, that there might come time
when men you'd as brothers be-" were
always locked at in a philosophical way,
more as matter of theory than of prac-
stcaI' every day affairs. In my opinion
ehls phase of the movement has passed
away. Such has been the marvellous
advance OF public opinion that the sim
gle tax will in few wears receive at
tention from law makers. We are no
longer classed with cranks or associated
In the public mind with long haired
men and short haired women" nor do
we wish to be again. What is especially
obligatory on single tax men now is the
preparation of plans to put our tax idea
into practical shape.
A gentleman of high position in our
tax department in Baltimore once told
me that in his opinion our present sys-
tenn OF taxation was an internal out
rage" but that any attempt to improve
1t would probably prove more DISASTROUS
than the continuance of the present sys-
tenn. OF course this gentleman had not
studied the single tax doctrine, or he
would not have made the latter state
ment. lie was one OF the many who re-
fuse to look into the single tax because
OF the common impression that to be a
single taXer involved necessarily oppo-
sltlon to private possession of land. and
some interference with the tenure of
land as now constituted. We who have
read The Standard and thought over the
question carefully know that this is not
SO. We know also that the power to tax
is the greatest agency for the veal or
woe of a people possessed by Il Govern
ment. All other governmental functions
sink into utter insignificancc along
side the power to tax. 1t is not too
much to say that the phrases, "a Just
system of taxation" and "a good govern
ment," are synonyms. Prof. Il. I. Ely,
of the Johns Hopkins University. with
whose views on many economical uueS-
tons l. as we'll as many other single
takers agree, says, in his "Problems of
To-day" published in the Baltimore
Sun and in book form: The more one
reflects upon the nature and the consc-
quences OF taxation, the more profound
~ one Is impressed with its far-rcaching
Importance. Taxation may create
monopolicS or IL may prevent them: it
may diffuSc wealth or i may concentrate
IT; it may promote liberty and equality
of rights or it may tend to the establish
ment Of tyranny and despotiSm: it may
be used to bring about reforms in indus
trial society or it may be so laid as TO
aggravate existing grievances and
foster dissension and class hate; taxa
ton may be SO contrived by the skillful
hand as 10 give free scope to every oppor-
tunity for the creation of wealth and the
advancement of all true interests of the
city or it may be SO shaped by ignOra-
muses. as to place Il dead weight on Bal
timore in the race for municipal su-
prenlaCv on the Atlantic coast
The professor in the same article lays
down a rule for taxation as follows:
Never tax any thing that would be of
value to your State that could and would
run away or that could and would come
To YOU"
To my mind single tax on land val
ues alone fUlfills the requirements of
this rule Land values, like the poor.
we have always with US Riches of all
kinds may take wings and fly away"
but a land value always sticks to the
community that has created it. The
operation of a tax on buildings. as
rule, appears rather to prevent their
erection. Thus the community does
not get one of the things which would
come to it" \ graduated income tax is
a popular fad with many people. bat
Mark Twain long ago gave us sketch
of how an income can be raised or low
cred, according to circumstances, which
sketch i worth all the arguments in
favor of the graduated income tax
Another fad" is the collateral inner
itance tax. or succession taxes. In Bal
timore we have what is known as an or
phan's court, which levies percentage
on all estates so unfortunate as to fall
into its hands. So high are these
charges that many persons dispose Of
all property before death with no other
purpose in view than to avoid the impo-
sition of these taxes. Such Il plan of
avoiding n succession tax would no
doubt become more popular if the taxes
laid were heavier. l do not see how
any law could be made that would head
off, this method of evasion of an inner
itance tax.
In conclusion, I desire to state that
these remarks are not purpOseless, but
have in view the object of drawing out
friends on practical questions of taxa
ton. and. furthermore, / would like to
commend to our friends the idea adj
yanced by my friend Mr.. Ogden. l have
given careful consideration to it, and
the more | have thought about it. the
more important it appears that we single
takers should have Il clear Zine of de-
markation'' between the functions of
government and the domain of private
enterprise. As far as am able to Judge,
the strict idea of government gives US
this line of demarkation.' The edge
Of the public highway is the limit of
constant governmental services. There
are two ideas that have strong hold on
the English speaking races. They are
exposed in the phrases, the Kings
highway" and "evcry Englishman's
house is his castle" The king of the
United States is in theory the people.
Let us restore the highways to the peo-
pie in their entirety and at the same
time let us show that the single tax viii
give additional security to every man in
the possession of his dwelling and even
10 his tenure of the land.-W. y. Hill,
NJ. d.. in y. y. Standard,