The Colfax chronicle., 1890-10-04
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
SINGLE TAX THE INsrRuMeNr

S"anhing Hall, Boston, April 28, .I80
CONTINUED FROM LAST IssuE.I
y hear you say: "Under the singl
tax would not the rent be taken just til
same? And what matters it If the tow
OF Killarney or the Earl of Kenmare g,
sct III? pertinent inquiry. Mark th
aistinction. When the town gather
tne rent OF the land, who gets it? Tn
town gets 1t and it belongs to the towr
and the town is the people. Justice pre-
walls. When the Earl takes the rem
the Earl gets it, and squanders it, an,
'ne town gets left" When the Ear
sees farmer improving his soil and en-
iarging his house he puts mp the rem
nigh enough to absorb the improvement
ana can always take the product of tn,
farmers industry, provided he leave,
Just enough for scanty living.
Under the single tax the farmer would
not be taxed for single Improvement
he may have an adjacent neighbor who
neglects his farm and lets it run down,
out as both have by situation land OF
equal value he will pay no more rent for
MS prosperous farm than the sloven will
pay Tor his neglected one. Nowif those
Two farms we're in Massachusetts, and
the farmers we're the owners, the idler
would pay low tax and the industrious
one high rate. The law would thus
reward idleness and punish thrift.
In the city what happens now? Crowd
ed tenements and lofty buildings and
vacant lots 1t is computed that New
York City is to-day only half built up-
on Per contra, in Philadelphia, where
personal property is highly taxed and
ground rents are common, there are
more homes and moro comfortable ones
Tor the working people than in any citv
OF the Union, and fewer tenement
houses In proportion. Manufacturers
gravitate there. l saw it stated the
other day that the manufacturing inter-
ests in the city of Philadelphia eoualed
those OF all New England. But think
how much more Philadelphia would
prosper and labor secure its comforts II
the ground rent went to the citv
treasury and not to private pock-
cts. Prof. Ely, OF Johns Hopkins
university. at one time an assessor of
asserted that with the single
tax on land values in that city. It would !
De the most desirable place for living in |
the United States. Not only would the |
land yield sufficient revenue for govern |
mental needs but enough for other pub
nc purposes. including reduction of
me fares on the street railroads. Per-
'aps no single expense of municipal or
own government is SO great as of the
streets and roads. They are in a per-
,etuai state of repair and extension.
they have a great capacity to absorb
nc money paid in taxes. None of them
re too good, most of them are far from
satisfactory, but they represent an i'm
1ense investment made by the people.
their importance and
ost private corporations have no difi-
uity in getting for nothing the street
ranchise for their railroads or gas mines
electric wires. Here is an enormous j
aiue' created by the community, and {
eionging to 1t, practically confiscated
few shrewd men who profit by the
implicitly and blindness Of the citizens, G
no submit to and ratify the injustice. 6
the revenue were paid to those who '
ave the rightful claim to 1t, it would | t
It the burdens of labor instead of Q
Yelling the pockets of the spectators. q
he single tax would prevent such
'oiiation, and corporations would pay c
the privileges granted them. v
But you are wearicd by my exposition p
the wrongfulness of prevailing meth y
IS OF taxation and impatient for a con- "
aeration OF the remedy. once asked il
avid A. Wells this question: "Suppos- d.
8 the country were to start afresh and il
dividnal ownership of land not rooted u,
law. would 1t not be better for all 81
nd to be rented by the people?" "Un- al
estionably," he answered; .sbut the OF
'nble Is to reach that desirable condi- bt
n without confiscation and great in sh
'tice." And this is the position of DC
rbert Spencer. The principle we con- va
"a for is granted, but its application W,
deprecated. M
am one Of those who believe that re
mt principles are always susceptible an
application, and while, popularly Gu
aking, Wells and Spencer would be 70
led safe and considerate guides on sh
point and Mr.. George q theorist sh
fanatic, l venture to prophesy ,
pasterity will give different YER on
: da
o reform is possible without disturb IA,
vested property and privileges. SO
en- railroads were hrst proposed the pri
70 coach interest fought them tooth wr
nail When gas was in Introduced the the
zers Of lamps, the dealers In oil and Ian
whaling interest protested against is I
$ ruination to their business In one
gas antagonized the electric as to
! as lighting chance was left. utt
'stments made in good faith, with a +"
Of In the stability Of things, are tur
q wiped out by new discoveries and lib,
'vations 1t is unquestionably hard nov
he sufferers, but the many are BEN tha
d and blessed, and progress is the of Z
of life and civilization. was
in your sympathy for the monopo- edg
OF land, who are to be the itie
I losers in the day Of the single of I