Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-03
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
TAKING LAND VALUES.
Henry George in N. Y. Standard
TcoNTINUHD FROM LAST ISSUE.


necessarily taxes In favor Of monopoly,
since the more capital 1t requires to go
into any business, or to make any i'm
provement, tho smaller the number OF
those who can do SO. And, besides this
general characteristic OF the taxes we
would abolish, many OF these taxes are
specially designed to foster monopolies.
1t is, moreover. evident that when
large part Of the produce Of labor and
capital of the community is takon In
rent by those who do nothing to aid In
production for land owners as land
owners in no wise aid production), there
is not merely created an unnecessary
and unnatural inequality in the distri-
button Of wealth, but this primary in
equality gives rise to tendency to fur
ther inequality. Unto him that hath
shall be given, and from him that hath
not shall be taken away" is the express
sion Of q universal law. To take from
one and give to another is, both by de-
creasing the relative power OF the one
and increasing the relative power Of the
other, to put them upon unequal foot
ings in treating future divisions. If we
trace to their cause the major
ity Of great fortunes, we shall
find 1t in monopolies OF some
kind-the primary and most inn
portant Of all being the monopoly Of the
land. 1t is not because capital gets an
undue proportion Of the wealth that 1t
helps to produce Though capital in some
Of its aggregations which involve
monopoly does), that, in spite Of all the
enormous advances which invention and
improvement and the growth Of popula-
ton have made, and still are making. in
productive power, labor gets but such
scant living, and wages tend constantly
TO the minimum that will support life.
With the advance Of the arts and the
progress Of society, interest-which
measures the return to capital-does not
increase, but tends rather to diminish.
It Ii rent which goes up, and up, and up.
To divert to common uses this great
fund which, though drawn from the pro-
duction of the whole community, now
goes to but q portion Of the community.
would be to turn into q promoter Of
equality what is now o promoter OF
inequality. To release capital from tax
alton, to lift the burden which now rests
upon improvement and production, to
destroy speculative land values, and
throw open land to those who would use
1t, would open opportunities for labor in
every direction and send wages up. In
all industries laborers would get fairer
proportion than now Of the value their
labor creates.
With relation to the factors Of pro-
duction and the primary distribution Of
the produce, society Is divided for pur-
poses OF economic investigation into
three classes-land owners, capitalists
aud laborers. OF these it is evident
that the change would be to the advan-
tage Of the capitalists and laborers, and
to the disadvantage Of the land owners.
But 1t is only in the abstract that such
. distinction can be clearly made In any
country, and especially in such coun-
try rs ours. We have, 1t is true, . con-
siderable class of laborers who are
neither capitalists nor land owners; but
we have few capitalists who are not la
borers for in the economic use Of the
term the managing head Of any great in
dustrial enterprise is IS truly laborer
as is any workman in his employ; and
we have probably no land owners who
are not either laborers or capitalists.
for, in the strict definition Of the term,
buildings and improvements are capital,
not land ~. A very great number OF
our people combine the characters OF
land owner. capitalist and laborer, and
there are certainly . large majority who
combine at least Of these characters
Thus, while all would profit in the gen.
eral social gains, 1t is only in the char
acter Of land owner that against these
general gains any one could set indi-
vidual loss Therefore. the proposition
to concentrate taxes on land values
should, as . matter Of mere individual
interest, commend itself even TO land
owners whose interests as land owners
do not exceed their interests rs capital
lists or laborers. or both.
With reference to the ownership Of
land and with regard to actual facts, our
people may be divided into three
classes-those who own land which they
do not themselves use, those who own
land which they use, and those who own
no land. The latter class may contain
some capitalists, but It Is mainly COM
posed Of laborers-farm hands, manual
1aborers operatives mechanics, clerks,
professional men, etc, who depend for
their living upon the earnings Of their
labor. This II the class which IL Is most
important to consider, not merely for
sentimental reasons, but because, since
they constitute the base Of the social |
pyramid, whatever improves or de-
presses their condition, will Affect all |
the rest Now. II Is manifest that to
take taxes OF capital and improvement
4.