Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-01-29
The Single Tax Again
WAsa1NGToN, d O, jar. 27.b,


To the Editor ef The Alexandria Gazette:
Sir: Recently there appeared in o newt
paper Of ibis city en item atatirg that your
CITY was op the eve OF ipaugursapg great
iudustral "boon," and OF the methods spok-
en- OF to bring atous this result. en- increase
of the general tsx 2ow levied upon ai OF
your citz.ns was proposed tor ihg purpose
of raising funds with which to pay he ex-
peass of opening up now strsets, laying side
walks, constructing eewers. ETC., the d0iog
of which il wss thought would invite CAPT.
tai and immigration from other parts o. the
country and thus increase the prosperity of
your ci,y bsyond the 3resns of even such
| ''boomn owns Sc Roanoke, Birmingham
and other places both inside and outside
your State 30 such q course might, tenn
porari;, sad 10 your prosperity but 81 you
know as well Us most people Go, that both
pnblc and private improvement S add but
little Yaius 20 spythicg bat the lard 10 tee
immediate vicinity of +uch improvements,
the prosperity could oy no means be general
and rermsnent, but would hs confined ST.
&C ost exclusively to .aCss Tho aelc tEa iand,
sld 10 larger measure to Ihcse holding
land out of use, than TO tho5a who improve
ID hy building houses. fectoIiss e'c,
Nov suppose that me authorities Of Alez-
audria ehou6 conclude TO nses la@a whics
gonld enable thenl 20 :rsua 8 proclamation
10 the world setting fortn The :eot that all
who sisbed to could coma TO A!exaoC;sia
ard engage ia the business of snip-buiicing,
manufacturing OF useful ariicos, the erec-
roa OF bcUses. the buiding oj street rail-
roads. or otherwise ergegs ip the building
40 Of yopr tity ard the necessary employ
ment o. labor. would be forever exempt from
taxation ucon the i01p-CVetG7nt5 made and
the rroGucs mauufsc;ured, al6 Instead OF
tsxlrg the Industrious ard eGo!DIisiDS for
doing just wha5 you cesire shouiG bs Gene
to Uaks yout citiZ.us p-oapeTous, wealthy
sud oon.snteG. you conclude 80 iegg 9 tax
uificient for tbs payment cftha expenses CT
yuec o;ty Soqernutnt, Da&iog street. I'M
proveDen;s, supporting eohoois. etc, unon
land calues alone and thus r9'ieve capital
ana labor Of the buFdsns which ro@ hau.-
per prn6uolior.
True il will BE argued By those pct ia-
ni!isr with the doctrine OF political ecoBoucg
which is now rapidly coming to tha front,
aud is being seriously considered by men CT
thought the world over, that to lay tex on
land ualues alone and to exempt sll improve
mepls, would be unju to the lard holders;
i
se sefectng for g slime, tia. such would not be
the case To make !hls clearer We will
assume that nan has g house scd lot val
ned at SO 0O0, upon vbioh the annual tax is
$50, divided. possibly, as folo|s: houss
$50; lot, $40. Now suppose the tex on tbs
house was remitted, and that on the lot iG-
osessaa from 500 to $50, how would
the user of the land be Injured. II
would not longer encourage men to invest
In land and hold it out of use, provided you
taxed land of equal value at the same rate
that was uuimproved and hald by specula-
tors, who do nothing TO improve your city
and will not ellow others to do go unless
they first pay the men who stand between
them and the land, e1orbitans prices for the
privilege OF adding to the Improvement of
your city and the employment OF its
citzsn5 in the building OF houses and the
| making OF other necessary nDd useful things.
But the levying of q tax on land values,
| in lieu OF all other ferns of taxation, would
do one OF two thiugs; viz, either make the
holders of valuable sites build upon them,
or force them to sell to those who do desire
to improve your city, at reasonable price,
which, of itself, as can oe readily seen, would
force a "buildipg BOOM" and prevent
| speculative boom" in isrd values, which
always ends In epricbiDg those who do ncth-
Ing for the town or city which they iDfesf,
| except to prevent it's growth ard improve
! ment.
II time ard spsce would permit, think
could make it clear that tar on land values
is not tGr at all, but I desiss for fear of
wearying you. Very respectfully,
WIN. GEDDES, Il. d.