Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-09-17
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
A PIECE OF LAND.
Nv Franci. e. shaw.

BY Francis G. Shaw.
Scene-A Common. Labor digging the
ground with stick, to plant potatoes.
Capital passing with spade on his shoulder.
Labor say, Capital, shall you use
your spade this year?
Capitalize, I'm going a-hshing.
Labor-Lend it to me. then.
Capital-Why should 1?
Labor-As a good neighbor. You
don't want it, and it would be a great
help to me. / could plant more ground,
and, perhaps, raise fifty more bushels
of potatoes, if had it.
Capital-That's a very one-sided rea-
son. You'd wear it out by the end of
the year. You'd have your fifty BUSH
els extra, and should have no spade
You'd be so much better off, and 1
should be so much worse off than 1 am
now. There's not much good neighbor-
hood in that.
Labor-Oh, I'd give it back to you
Just as good as it is now; or I'd make a
new one for you
Mote This is the necessary maintenance or
replacement of capital which is consumed by
use.
Capital-Thats rather better, but
bushels more, which you couldn't have
raised without my spade, while should
be no better off than l am now. No,
thank you! I'll keep my spade. Go
make one for yourself. 1t took me ten
days to make this
Labor-Yes, but this is the season for
planting, and l haven't the time to
spare; l want to use it now. l can't
see why you shouldn't let me have it as
well as leave it to rust, which it will
since you're not going to use it.
Capitalists not going to rust. I'll tell
you what mean to do with it: Farmer
wants spade as well as you, and offers
to give yearllng heifer in exchange
for this one. I'm on my way now to
make the swap, and get her. l shall
turn her out on the common, and by the
end of the year l shall have a cow with,
perhaps, calf by her side. Don't you
think she'll be worth good deal more
than the new spade you offer?
[NoTE-Capital proposes to take advantage
OF the active forces OF nature which manifest
themselves in growth as well as in the produc-
tiveness of land and which can be made avail
able by Labor, by Capital, the result of La
bor.l
Labor-Certainly she will l never
thought of that! Yes; if you can swap
your spade for the heifer, you've a
right to as much return from one as
from the other. But how much do you
expect to gain if you do make the ex-
change?
Capital suppose quite as much as
ten bushels of your potatoes will be
worth when you dig them.
L., =,
you a new one and ten bushels of pota-
toes VIII that satisfy you?
Capital-I've rather set my heart on
the heifer, and besides, your crop may
fail
Labor hope not; it never has
However, there is some little risk, / adj
NIT and I'll give you twelve bushels in
stead of ten What do you say?
Capitalists bargain! Here's the
spade, and I'll go and see about my
boat
mote Thus labor employs the wealth
which capital has accumulated by his past la
Dor, and as both are interested in the crop, Ia
Dor and capital become partners. The ten
bushels which capital is to receive for the use
of the spade may be called interest to which
he is justly entitled from his ability to ex-
change the spade for something which will
and the other two bushels are for insurance
against the risk of failure of the crop.l
ENTER LANDOWNER.
Landowner cleaning over fence)-
Hullo, Labor! What are you at work
on that moorland for? The soil is much
better on this side of the fence. You
can raise fifty bushels more potatoes
here than you can there with the same
hat hi of
of me: I wouldn't charge you much for
the use of it.
Labor-It's true that the soil is bet
ter, and 1 should plant there if you
hadn't fenced it in; but you know as
well as do that this common is free,
and that every thing 1 can raise on it is
mine; while if l should plant on that
side of the fence you'd clap me in Jail
for trespassing, or else you'd let me
raise crop and then take all away
from me- unless / came to your terms.
The laws seem to be made for you land
owners. What right had you to fence
in the best land? 1t was all common
once. If you were cultivating it, |
wouldn't have word to say; your right
to it is as good as mine, or that of any
body else; but it's no better, and |
don't see what right you have to keep
me off of it, when you don't want to
cultivate in yourself
Landowner did cultivate it for
some years and l fenced it to keep the
cattle away; hauled off the stone and
drained it, and got good crops
Labor-Did the crops repay you for
what you laid out?
fundamentally well, you may
believe; you don't suppose that l was
such fool as to make the improve
ments if l hadn't been sure of that
But I've got some better land that /
mean to till this year, and l should like
to let this lot to you at fair rent
Labor-Yes; Isuppose you have taken
the cream out of this. But what do you
call fair rent?
Landowner-Let me see! The land
is still a good deal better than the COM
mon, and easier to work than when
enclosed it. The drains are there, and
there are no stones on the ground; be-
sides, the fence is good for three years,
and you'll have to fence your common
lot if you want to made crop. That's
something for you to consider. These
are real advantages.
Labor-Yes, that's so. Well! 1 think
it will be fair if 1 agree to give you one
third the value of the fence; say ten
bushels of potatoes, and five bushels
more on account of the other improve
ments
fundamentally you keep the fence
in as good repair as it is now?