The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-06-06
} SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
HOW TO GIVE LABOR ITS FULL
4 EARNINGS.

can take by taxation part of the wealth B
created by labor, and yet leave to each I
man his full earnings. He writes as i
follows:
The single tax platform declares that
each man is entitled to all that his labor I
Produces" also, that the single tax {
would ''solve the labor problem and I
raise wages in all occupations to the
full earnings of labor
Now, under the present system OF
private ownership of land, does not la
Dor produce not only the wages paid to
labor, but also interest realized tor use
of capital, profits IA employers of labor,
rents paid to landlords on land and the
buildings thereon, and also all the taxes
collected for the support OF all govern
ments, whether economically or extrav-
agantly administered?
On page 40 of Progress and Poverty"
Mr.. George quotes Adam Smith as fol-
lows:
1.-THE produce of labor constitutes the
patural recompense or wages OF labor.
In that original state of things which
precedes both appropriation of land and
the accumulation of stock, the whole |
produce of labor belongs to labor" And |
on page 1856 Mr.. George says: Where
land is free and labor is unassisted by |
capital, the whole produce will go to
labor" and on page 125 he formulates
the produce problem thus: Produce
equals rent plus wages plus interest"
Now, under the single tax system the
revenues for the support OF
government will be realized
from land rents, but will it not
be true then, as now, that such rents
will be included in the total production
of labor? And if so, then how can the
adoption of the single tax result in CIV
ing ITO each man all that his labor pro-
duces", and s'raises wages to the full
earnings of labor" as indicated in the
platform?
All produce is divided into three parts
rent, wages and interest 1t is con-
fusion of terms to speak OF further OIL
vision into profits, or two kinds OF rent
Profits is a term meaning partly wages
of superintendent, partly interest.
Rent is the payment for the use OF land
only; payment for the use OF mouse, as
distinguished from the land it stands
ON, is interest, not rent, for rented
house is capital, it is wealth in course
of exchange As for taxes, they are
drawn from either rent, wages or inter-
est. The primary division of the entire
product therefore is always into these
three parts, rent going to the landown'
err. wages to the laborer, interest to the
capitalist ;,
Interest, the reward of capital II
earned by capital, capital being labol
stored up in the form of wealth, anc
used in producing more wealth Inter
est, therefore, is not drawn from tn'
earnings of labor and does not reduc'
wages
Economic rent is that part of the to
tai product which represents the In
creased power with which the com
munity. as a whole, aids the individual
Land bears no rent until the presenc
of population, the growth and improve
meut of the whole community, hav
made some locations more valuabl
and productive than the best lf
cations which can be had free
Nv guaranteeing to certain II
individuals the exclusive posses
sios of locations which it has rendere
valuable, society increases their PR
duct The excess of their product ovt
that which the same application can s.
cure from the least productive land
use is rent As it is not the result
extra application of either labor or ca
ital. rent is not part of the earnings
individuals. Therefore, taking rent II
ruhl;c purposes will not decrease wage
Rut the effect of leaving rent In Il
hands of individuals is to greatly q
crease wages as well as interest, al
the total product of the communit
This results first, from the fact that Z
private ownership of rent causes Z
speculative monopolization OF iano' al
second, from the fact that society, n
receiving the rent which it creates.
compelled to levy taxes on producti
and products of industry, which evel
ually are drawn almost entirely frt
the earnings of labor.
Wages and interest are liked
would be fixed under the SIM
tax as well as now, by
rent line or margin OF cuitivati'
that is to say, they are fixed by the
ward which labor and capital can sec'
on me best land which bears no re
Or, to put it more clearly
average rate OF wages OF SIX
ed labor is determined py
= wages. of unskilled labor; and the wa
of unskilled labor are determined
what such labor could produce by
ploying itself on the best land that
be had free of rent; the general rat'
interest being determined in the So
way. The reasons why wages, at
primary distribution Of products,
not the full earnings of the individ'
to-day, is because the maj
of cultivation - arunci
lowered. The desire on the
of all men to hold all the land they
get, using to its full extent only 2
traction of it, creates specuia