The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-02

| PORTLAND, Or, May %, 1891.
EDITOR CHRoN1cLE-Will you grant
me space just this once to add little
more on the single tax. question?
The CHRONICLE having admitted that
the owner of a townsite who sells out for
''cool million has ''never earned a
dollar of this money" simplifies the situ
| alton greatly In other words it is con-
ceded that the land values are created
by the community, hence belong to the
community and no individual has a right
to absorb them. For all purposes of
government which require taxation to
carry them out we see that here is a
natural fund which belongs of right to
society. The progress of civilization
which brings men together gives a value
to land. Some land is more valuable
than others, the law of supply and de-
mand fixing its price. Hence the indi
viduals who use land are in justice re-
quired to pay society according to the
value of the land they use. Beyond the
collection of these ground rents society
should not go. All wealth that man
may acquire in excess of these from the
use of that land (be it city lot, wat ter
power, mine or farm), it is none of
society's business to enquire into as long
as the rights of other men are not tres
passed upon.
Let us take the case of the man who
sells a townsite for "'cool Million"
The only reason that such price was
I.k IL IL IL
value of that sight was-for convenience,
let us say-ten per cent. of the selling
price; in other words 100000 per an
mum. The men who purchased it, no
matter how they came by their money,
did so because it was worth that much
to them collectively for purposes of busi-
ness, for these values still remain and it
is with them alone society has the right
to deal. Society by it's presence and
labors is still making this land valuable
and has the right to demand its own. If
the CHRONICLE will ponder on the situa-
ton in Wasco county it will find an easy
solution of the tax levy problem on the
basis of the single tax. A real estate
value of a million and a half has been
shown-does any man believe that, ex-
empting improvements of all kinds, the
land value of Wasco county is less than
a million? On the basis of 800, 900 an
nual value, and allowing very healthy
margin to land owners for collection of
rents, ETC., how easy to raise the $62 800
without doing injustice to any man!
Now as to our millionaire; whose
business is it what he does with his
money as long as he conforms to
police regulations? He and his money
may remove to parts unknown, in which
case the community where he acquired
his wealth could no longer tax him if it
wanted to. He may stay where he
"made his pile in which case his
money, whether he embarks in enter
prise or loans it to others for various
purposes, will by it's presence add to the
value of the land. Producers and con-
sumers alike give value to land-that is
make it profitable for some one to make
use of that land. If merchant pays a
high rent the reason is that the location
is such that he can do business enough
to justify him in paying such rent
The ultimate question is who shall re-
ceive that portion of the rent that be-
longs to the land value? Society that
gave it that value or some individual
who did not?
The poor man referred to, on his
omestead, will, under the single tax.
have little or no tax to pay because his
land, Improvements counted out, and
valued as it would be if never a plow
had been stuck in the ground or a grub
torn out, will have very little value.
Taxation will be transferred to the rich
centers of population, where single lot
is worth whole township of homestead
land. The man with herd of cattle on
the public range is engaged in the meri-
torious business of raising food for society
and should not be taxed therefor.
more valuable for other purposes it will
acquire a rental value which society
should tax. In the matter of the poor
settler who cannot protect his crops
against the depredations of his neigh
boris stock it only shows that he does
not get "value received for the taxes
he now pays. If society taxes him it
should protect him, as Kansas and
Nebraska do by the herd law. In those
states every man must herd his stock;
and crops, which do not trespass on
other peoples land, are tturned out
DOORS"
Pardon this long effusion which is,
however, too short to do the subject JUS
tice. WALLACE YATES.
Notice.