The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-09-05
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT..
TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

Two IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
am inclined to think that these two
questions are the most difficult ones q
single tax advocate is called upon to
answer:
~ Arc there not unearned incro-
ments in other things besides lands?
(2) Can not . tax upon land values
be shifted?
When say these questions are difh-
cult, meath that it u not always an easy
matter to convince, even intelligent peo'
pie; that buildings e. g., do not in
crease in valuation as population in
creases; or that ON land values is un-
like most other taxes, l. e., can not be
recovered from some person other than
the one upon whom it is levied How
ever plainly single tax men may see
these truths, it must be borne in mind
that the ultimate adoption Of the single
tax proposition depends upon the con-
version of our opponents, or at least
those of them who are thoughtful, to
our views offer the following sug-
gestions, not as containing anything
original, but as possibly helpful in GER
tain emergencies:
In the first place, It ought to be UNI
derstood that when we assert that there
| is no uIiearned increment in anything
| except land, we are stating general
truth. We are not denying that there
are fluctuations in the values Of labor
products OF of land. But while increase
of population is accompanied by no in
crease in number of natural opportuni-
ties, it is accompanied by more than
proportional increase of labor products
Consequently, while the price of land
tends to rise, that of labor products tends
| to fall. If q person starts from, say, Ports
mouth, N, H., and proceeds to the sum-
| init Of Mount Washington, he will fro
quently find himself going down hill
! before he reaches his destination; but,
upon the whole, his ascents will amount
| to more than his descents by several
| thousand feet It seems to me that his
the course of land values in most ifnot
| all, civilized countries; and his return
to the sesshore likewise illustrates the
| mode of the decline of the values Of
labor products.
The writer had the following instance
brought to his notice as an example OF
| unearned Increment in a house:
| A man leased a lot of land for period
of ten years at the rate of 800 per year
On this lot he erected house costing
s., 00O from the tenants of which house
he received during the first year $50
But population began to increase in
that vicinity, and the second year he re-
ceived $500 from his tenants, and the
year after $500. Had not that house in
creased in value, and was not the In.
creased value due to increase Of popu-
lation? Now, the average assessor and
the average real estate dealer know
that the house was not worth any
more, in fact not quite SO much, at the
end of the third year as it was when
first erected They know that if the
house had been destroyed during the
third year, that it could have been re-
placed for 1000, unless building ma
terials and the wages of labor had mean.
time varied appreciably. They know
that no insurance company would in
sure the house for any more
than it would cost to replace it,
or if a company did do so II
would not keep its contract But there
are many intelligent people who have
to have these things distinctly pointed
out to them. Clearness of statement
and frequency of repetition are essential
to the removal. Of doubt upon such
points as this. Sarcasm, spoken OF
printed, does not do one bit Of good
| Prof. Seligman, think it was, cited
the improvement of wine in quality as
it grows older - . case of unearned in
crement, and 1 have heard the same
citation made more than once since the
meeting at Saratoga last September
It does not seem to have occurred to the
man of letters, and possibly it has moi
occurred to others, that he might a.
well have called attention to q hill o.
growing corn as case of unearned in
crement The farmer brings certain
elements into juxtaposition, and leave.
nature 10 do the rest 1t is generally
considered that he earns about all hi
gets out of a cornficld. The producer
of wine do precisely the same thing
that the farmer does-bring grapes il
contact with press of some sort, thu
juice in contact with q vessel. and the
vessel in contact with a cellar or othel
storehouse. Labor makes the press
the vessel and the storehouse, the ulti
mate object of all which appliances 4
to retain the wine in position wher,
it may be affected by natural forces o.
processes. Probably wine producer
are of the opinion that their produc
in the end ''costs about all it Gomez
to-"
Congressman r. G. Horr recentl,
.ited the case of colts developing I
2:1s gait as an example of unearned in
crement But horsemen know tina
colts of uncertain pedigree do not Otter
develop that rate of speed, and that tn
training of q trotter is task which few