The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-01-31

which is yielding to the investors, to say
the least, a very fair return on the
money. Then think of what Il great
sum OF money is continually being ex-
tracted from the users OF land for which
there is no return given.
If any one contends that the return
given for this money is the privilege OF
using the land, remember that this is
given by a much higher authority than
man, and given free. This privilege is
given to every child born into the world.
Man only says no.
The conditions that make it possible
for one class OF persons to charge an-
other for the privilege OF using natural
opportunities, is the growth and i'm
provement Of the community. Certain
individuals get hold OF all the land, not
for the sake OF actual use, but for the
purpose Of monopoly. Land being
limited, they can extract from the users
this unjust royalty. Then if the whole
people create this value, why should
they not take it for the purpose OF their
common wants. that is, for governmental
expenses instead OF letting individuals
pocket this fund and then tax thepeople
to raise this expense. This value that
the whole community creates is what
the single tax men want to be taken in
taxation, and this by a tax on land
values.
This would not fall on all land, but
only on valuable land. The farmer
who thinks that he and his class would
have all the tax to pay, will do well to
look up the figures on valuations. In
Pennington county, outside OF Rapid
City, the real estate values amount to
5000, 900, and in Rapid City S1,4OO,OOO
according to our last assessment. In
the state OF massachusetts, farm values
are Just one tenth that OF city values
This does not include many valuable
mining properties and franchises.
), This would not hurt the users OF land
!, but would greatly benefit them. But to
the land Spectator, I fear it would bt
, cold comfort.
lean only say that if the single tai
is adopted, I believe there would be sucl
an impetus given to industry that evel
5 he would find that he was greatly bene
fitted in other directions and would hay
the satisfaction Of knowing that he ha'
l earned the money SO made by givin
something valuable to his fellow me
e instead OF taking wealth from them an
giving nothing in return, through a sys
. tenn justified by law. I have no fault t
II find with a man for making all til
t money he can in this way as long as til
people are foolish enough to permit i
II Now, don't say we want to take you
lie land from you, for we want nothing
y the kind. Your title will be just AS goo
;e under the single tax as now. Youwoul
l.. only have a. heavier tax on the value {
lg the land and none ON the Improvement
or on other personal property, and so
d would make holding land out OF use Ill
profitable.
Open the doors to natures reservoir
of wealth to labor and the vast sums
money now tied up in land speculatio
will be put into productive enterprise
and our surplus labor employed.
0 My article is becoming too long. Iwi
have to stop at this point by promisin
!, to write again at some future tim
showing the effect the adoption Of tt
single tax would have upon the farmer
y LEVI MCGEE.