The Colfax chronicle., 1890-10-25
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT..
HOW II WORKS.


HOW IT WORKS.
Uo-opsratlon and sinsls Tax in Miehisan
Town.
Several years ago in Copperdale, Mich,
! prospector found paying lead Of ore
He was an intelligent, honest man, who
rather disliked the idea Of selling out
his claim to company OF capitalists
who would thenceforth mon0polize the
whole locality and rule labor through
its power as lord Of all the land ADA
sent to the place Of work.
He WAS familiar with the single tax.
and also had just learned of the peoples
cooperative banks. Therefore, instead
Of going in search Of capitalists to buy
out his claim. he began a correspond
ence with all the honest, sturdy work
ingmen, like himself, that he knew. 1t
was not long till several hundred men
were on the spot Each had brought {
little money-the savings of several
years. Together they had capital OF
about s., O00 They formed themselves
into . cooperative company with cap
ital stock of 300 shares Of 800 each, or
$50, 600. Two hundred shares were 10
sued, one each to the men on the spot
to be paid for by instalments. The 9TH
er one hundred shares were held in the
treasury of the company, to be issued
one each to any newcoming worker
whose help they might require. They
nearly all opposed the idea OF IVA
tering' the stock. as . few proposed
to do.
Mining operations now began With
but crude methods Vhey wero able to Sc
cure ore near the surface, which was
quite rich, and which paid the workers
1T the average rate of S. per day. AS
soon as the work was inaugurated
the company selected one Of their num-
Der TO go to the city to find market for
their product simultaneously teams
were secured and the ore hauled to the
nearest railway station. Not having to
divide their wages tho equivalent of
the product OF their labor) with employ
ers or capitalists, they could afford to
sell their ore at little less than the
market price, and found an immediate
market for all they could ship.
The company established reserve
fund, paying out in wages only $3.50 per
day. BY mutual consent the balance OF
their earnings was reserved to establish
: fund to purchase all the necessary
plant OF machinery to operate mines
Not many months past until the outside,
world had heard Of this ''find' of copper
and population began to pour in. All
the land adjacent to that claimed BY
members of the cooperative company
was readily taken up, and the town OF
Copperdale wa1 founded with popula-
tion OF 5000 adults. SeverS. hundred OF
these were allowed to take shares in the
company and assisted in the mining
operations The rest of the population
divided itself into the various channels
usually found in such town. and
among them were not few buns and
spectators, who had come in hopes Of
being able to capture some opportunity
which others would pay them we'll to
relinquish. A social order society dis
posed Of the former as quickly as could
be humanely done; they were told te
either show evidence of self-support OF
depart The speculators had soon
staked out city. and . wild
game Of speculation in parcels Of
land was in progress within three
months The town had meantime
been Incorporated according to the prev
alent ideas of social economy. All i'm.
proved lands and lots were to be taxed
about iivo times as high as lots held OF
speculation which we're equally valu
able. The discoverer Of the mine who
beside being the hero because OF hil
discovery, had won the hearts of tht
people by his brotherly dealing in form
ing the cooperative company
was single tax man, and so were quit'
number of his associates. He wa
chosen mayor of the town, and his sin
gle tax friends formed majority Of tht
board OF aldermen. The result was tina
lands Of equal value were appraised an,
assessed alike, and had to pay the sam'
tax. At first the land spectators wer
dismayed. Then they considered tn
matter, and finding population whicl
! was in need of all kinds Of good build
| ings they concluded forthwith to improv
| (bnild npon) their lands. Thus capita
| was forced to cooperate on an equalit
with labor in building the town, an
! the result was that Ave houses wer
| built where otherwise only one woul
| have been erected. Consequently ever
| one who wanted work found all he coul
do. All kinds of workers were ker
busy, and instead of man paying go
. year rent for lot with . shant
''thrown in," he got neat, comfortabl
cottage with . garden patch and law
thrown in for the same money; for .
ole was anxious to hold land at tc
high . value. but each sought to max
| money by furnishing desirable homes.
A national bank was little later O
tablished, but abandoned for lack I
depositors-
/ The people had established . aco-oper'
tive bank, which, though still refuse
the function Of issuing currency, was =
lowed to receive deposits and loanShol