Copiah signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1888-1899, 1891-10-22
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
WHAT rHE SINGLE TAX WOULD
90.

Daily Exprrss says;
Fcr The information % Aye Zee aud
other opponents % the single tax viii
answer my question. WAY Is n that
the more you tax houses. hass sugar &c
any other product Of man's iahor. whleh
all comes from land. the less people
have 81 these things - use. While the
more yea tax land vAlu-s the more land
there h available Cor uss7'
Aye hee seems % question the cor.
reetness u this proposition. hence Il u
neceasary 10 prove 10. truth
The effect u taxation on the protlucsa
Of latsor h % increase their eoss b the
consumer, thereby restricting eonsnnp
ton u We impose = tar on haases the
users II houses must finally pay ID aud
the pre'iaetion ~ houses viii cease I'M
al rrnt h~comez high enough IN pay
regular profit and the tax h-sssles AZ
one time In France q tar wa. levied On
every window u was claimed thai
this tan eonld not lie svaded and would
fall most heavily ga the rich and tend
10 sllay the angry murmurs Of di.con-
tented poPuiaee already grnaning usa-
der q multiplicity 81 taxes The effect
Of this tar like all other taxes on tho
Proiaets ~ labor. restricted the pro-
daction aud usa ~ the thing taxed
IL even did more In order 20
eyade the tax. thousands 81 hoa.e
owaerx walled up their Windows hlch
remain elo=ed ,o-day-a monument 10 the
past folly u French legislation u ne
levy a tax on hats. the manufactarer
viii charge u IN higher price 10 the
iobheF. the iobher 20 the retailer. and
the retailer 10 the user. who viii par
not only the original coat plus the tax
bat profit GA every exchange that has
eeen made. l. u not plain that taxes
4 this nature DO not remain where
hey are first placed bat are shifted To
the consumer; and 80 IA u true, that an
taxes levied on the products % iahar
tend b restrict production. consequent
y the more you tax these things The
less there II for people N use. Tar
manufactures aud you check mann.
ac,uTtng tar Improvements aud you
lessen Improvement tar commerce asd
Foa prevent exchange, tar capital and
yoa drive Il away, bat the whole value
4 lani may he taken In taxation and
he only effect viii he ~ stimulate ia.
tustry, free labor. open new opportunl-
.ies Tor capital and Increase the pro,lua-
tlon % wealth and prevent IL coneen-
traiion
IL u heyond q question that taxcs In
'rcase the cost n the product - later
Consequently restrict their produc,ion
and u remains % 70 seen what " land
value and the effect II ia taxation In
be Art place. what j. landp Ave lice
seems certainly mixed. and. In an ~.
fort 90 define u says that land {.
measured by the acre ant land valae
| by dollars This y 9 mix-onception
The term land includes not mer.ly the
surface 81 the earth but the whole ma
,er o. word outside u maa himself.
aud 4 j. only W having access 90 land
from v hich bis very body IL drawn that
~ can use the f,rccs and mater as 81
aature Land embraces, IN short all
Natural ina eriais. forces ana oppor.
tuniti~s You eau not measure opIsar-
tuntttez ~ the acre. neither can you
a like manner measure the forces ~
aaturc This then, l. the meaning ~
aud What l. u that give, Il valnq ?
something outside q AMI distinct from
labor
Imagine the hrst settler camping on
the site 81 the present town - Llano
The Spii. locality aud rchourres % the
eountry saiting him he determines "a
make that his hnaae Mature la her
most generous mood has stored untola
wealth ~ his door. inviting him tao.
| Pir ms iasor 81 the tand 80 ths r-&ur.
al opportunities which Law ~ bis f-st
By toll aud labor he erected his haa-
ole home AMI planted a crop 81 supply
him with fooi for the coming YEA
| Has HE labor increAsed the value ~
The land9 No for soon another pioneer
moves la and locates near the hrxt
There i No land valae yet but soon
another and another comes. till set
Element y clustered around the Hrst
| pioneer. aud the nmcleuS - 4 city u
started and there u a eonpetitian
GsnonT ths settlers 10 ettaiB sstne l.as,re
faFuratly situated piece a land aud
/ thea begins Ia grow With the needs ~
q community, land value, which i
created ~ "a. presence - population
and the drmands 20 labor fpr the ~ "
materials 81 natur,
The land owner anticipating the
meets "a lahir munppul a., the natural
! opportanit'es, and thea has the power
- say % lalrur hsfore yoa can u.c Land
which few year, Tass a. free g. all.
you must pay me Cor nav permission
AMI ~ population increases hrinFing
with N new markets m 1 means "a ex-
chang, the demand Tor iani increases
AMI ths land osnpr stands ~ the mouth
q the mine. ~ the aoor % the work.
shop. claiming biz pound - fl.sla. o. be
may say and doss say ~ later an. cap
ital. This yoa must not taaeh ID =
true ] do not want 20 use The wealth
stored Ia this land waiting the maric
toach ~ labar, neither vii permits
| zen o. do 80 NJ looks ahead q few
, years aad sees . tasf toiliag p.a,ula-
ton crowding around bis vacant land
and knows that this msans enarnaos
in value. The effect ~ takiag this val.
ne In the shapt - taxation would h~
virtually saying 81 labor and capital
The earth and is fullness thereof
IA yours" Delve aud dig. bald
and plan, wress from nature her Eao~t
hidden force and with the magic wand
a freedom open Up vlstas % human
progress that seers and prophsts and
puets have seea only In visions
Spaee forbids dwelling on the posi-
hilitios u haman prowress and Ia con.
clasioa would say that By taxing land
70 ita fuil rrntal value there woaid he
no incentive ~ bold Land idle Inaer
this systesn there would be NO valuable
land devoted 20 raising weeds and
mosquitoes In the heart q the city such
aa we see 81 prws~nt single tar does
not Contemplate the changing a haman
nature, bat aiaas 10 place all men on %
eqaal footing with an equal right -
the earth. the eommoa inheritance "
sll aud vesting the sacred rights u
property with the oaly peFfeet tits.
the right q creation.
1