The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-02-05
wirAr ARE THE REAL GRIEVANCES

tent from the prevailing idea now on
that subject. Instead OF calling upon
men to contribute in taxation for the
support of government in proportion to
what they produce oraccumulate-w what
they are worth-they will be required to
pay in proportion to the value OF the
opportunity they occupy. Ii Il oc-
cupied the most valuable lot in a city he
would be required to pay the greatest
tax. Ii another occupied the most fer
tile agricultural land, he would be called
upon to pay the highest tax. Is there
any thing unfair about this? Ii you go
to u theater you do not pay in proper
ton to what you are worth, but III pro-
portion to the value OF the seat you oc-
cupy. You 20 to a hotel, occupy the
choicest room and have the best fare,
the landlord doesn't ask you how much
property you have got; but charges you
in proportion to the privilege you en-
joyed at his hotel. Ii civilization in it's
growth builds up certain locations more
valuable than others, why not make the
person occupying them pay to society for
the support OF government a price cor
responding to thier value. And so with
natural values.
The question naturally arises. who
will be hurt by the adoption OF the sin
gle tax? 1t will be clear to any n who
gives the subject a little thought, that
the users OF land, whether owners or
renters, will be beniited; for all who use
land must pay rent, either as purchase
price or rent paid to an owner for q
period OF time. The man who improves
land will be beniiited, for in q great
many instances the improvements far
exceeds the value Of the land so he a n
not be hurt. Then the only persons that
would be hurt are those holding land
idle in speculation and have no doubt
that even they would be so greatly ben
fitted in other ways by the general pros
perity, that they would never kick.
Suppose you are q farmer. You have
IL tract OF land you paid 81, O0Oforwith-
out improvements. The single tax is
applied and it takes all the selling value
out of the land, sc you can sell for only
what the Improvements are worth; are
you injured? l say no, for the reason
that your land will produce Just as
much as ever and you have no more tax
to pay; but suppose you want to sell
then would you be injured? No, for the
reason that you sell for just what the
improvements are worth and you cal
buy other land at the same price, that
is for the value OF the improvements.
The greatest benifit to be derived from
the adoption OF the single tax is the dis
truction OF inflated or false capital
Land speculation, that is capitalizin'
land value, produces in effect the sam
thing in the world at large as watering
the stock OF a corporation. To illus
tratc: a man goes to a city to start in
to the manufacturing business. He pay
$4,000 for ground to build upon, 50,
900 Tor building and $4,000 for machln
cry and raw materials. He has a $50.
600 investment and only $4,000 Of j
productive. that Is, that adds to the az
Greaatc wealth ui The world. He, {
course, must receive pay FOR the use {
the other $4,000, but lie must get t!ii
/, from the aggregate wealth produce
without putting anything back, Other
Wise his business Will iall. In othe
. words, $4,000 OF this lsineEfect, waterc
? stock on which labor must continual
pay interest-rent. Follow this idea II
I through all this great business worl
y and see what Il huge wltcred stock inst
tuition it is: and bear in mind that labt
e is paying for all this inflated capital III
is it any wonder that labor is Eoor
paid?
Counting the land value OF the Unite
States at $50, OO0, OOO, 900 and interc
a at six per cent, the annual loss to lab'
as labor, on this inflated capital is 81
o SOC, OOO,O 900. If all this vast sum WI
today going to the benifit Of labor i
stead OF going in speculation, would
1T not be greatly identified? And again,
le all this inflated or false capital Great.
re by %capltalizing land value was destroyt
Y would not the man with small capt.
be also beniited. Take the Illustrate
e. OF the man with the factory. He cou
:, produce just as much wealth with ST.
rd 600 as he Il now with 100000.
OK OK would not have to pay $4,000 for
DIV location as now.
he In this connection desire to call 8
-: tention to IL proposition very general
er advocated among the farmers and tn
hit is the proposition for the government
-: loan cheap money to owners OF land
I'd first mortgage security. This | belle
l lr to be IL very dangerous scheme. Il
ms effect would be to raise the price OF lar
r it would make the land holder Il pri
ey legged parsonage and every increase i'll t
~, ~ value Of land, would mean a correspo1
ing decrease in the pay OF labor.
al. haven't time here to further speak
rs this.
IN Let everyone who loves his COUNT
"a loves his family and loves his fellowm
wv and all those who would leave a last
nd legacy to their children, study well t
,ss question I haye tried to present.
ICE The social question must be settI
Use and let us hope that it may be dc
he intelligently. How many cruel VS.
( a blacken the pages OF history that mig
an have been prevented by the exercise
OF a little intelligence. We today are {
preaching a period that calls Tor all I
en- powers OF honest thought to tide the {
y? ship OF state over the danger.
at LEVI MCGEE
de-
no A communication from commission
Nv Crofford OF Custer county, calls attenti
to the necessity for some change in