Iron County register., 1891-04-30
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
THE SINGLE TAX BEFORE THE
ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
Letter of Warren Worth Bailey in The
Standard.

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.
Letter of Warren Worth Bailey in The
Standard.
The expediency of adopting the single
tax will be investigated by committee
of the Illinois legislature. This much
we are sure of as the result of our trip
to Springfield on Tuesday, when the
question of appointing a special com
| 1nittee to inquire into the subject was
set for a hearing in the house. Our
club sent delegation OF five. consisting
Of Messrs, John z. White. Edward Os-
good Brown. Herbert Darlington, Frank
W. Irwin and W. w Bailey Several
others had intended to go, but could not
get away. The single tax delegation
was reinforced by Mr. j ohm c. Harding.
president of the Illinois Federation of
Labor, the whole crowd going down
Monday night on the Legislative train
from this city. At Springfield they were
joined by Messrs. Hill and Buchner, OF
the Peoria club. and number of the
/ local friends. who treated the visitors
very kindly during their short stay
The resolution calling for the appoint
ment of the desired committee was in
troduced by Hon. John T. Noteworthy.
editor of the Carmi Partisan. and the
matter was in his hands. He had sue
ceeded in having it made special order
and it was arranged that the house
should go into committee of the whole
for its consideration. This was done
Immediately after the reading of the
journal, on Mr.. Norsworthys motion,
the republicans voting solidly against it.
as they did when the auestson was on
the adoption of the resolution itself.
Nalua bic assistance was lent to Mr..
Noteworthy by Representatives May
and O'Donnel of Cook and Gehr of
Peoria, and Speaker Crafts was obvi-
ously inclined in our favor. When the
house went into committee of the whole
Representative Craig was called to the
chair, and then we were invited to ad-
dress the house in behalf OF the matter
under consideration.
John 4. White was the first speaker
When he began his argument | noticed
that at least a third of the members
We're engaged in anything but listening
Some of them We're reading, others
were writing, still others We're chatting
with neighbors Or moving about the
chamber. But Mr.. Whites first sem
tences and the voice in which he de-.
ivered them, very quickly commanded
attention. The gentlemen who We're
looking over their mail laid it aside,
newspapers We're folded up. writing
was suspended and conversations were
stopped abruptly. The faces of the
scornful took on first look OF curiosity
and then one of thoughtful interest. In
Al
was intently listening, and I particular
" observed that none We're more alb
sorbed in following Mr.. White than the
legislators who wore upon them the air
OF the farm.
Mr.. White in opening his remarks ex-
planned that we were not there to adj
vocate the single tax. but to ask the ap-
pointment of a committee to investi-
gate and report the facts from which
might be drawn conclusion as to the
merit of the single tax system as COM
pared with the present. Chicago's val
uation, Mr.. White declared. four years
after the fire was $500, 900, 900, in 1884
s203, 900, 600, and last year $50, 900, 600.
This, the speaker maintained, would
indicate that Chicago was growing
steadily poorer, something that was
manifestly absurd 1t was patent that
the wealthy of this city were escaping
taxation for obvious reasons If per-
son went into any of the large houses
and tried to justly levy an assessment
the word of the owner or his hirelings
was all that could be secured. 1t was
different with the farmer. HIS proper
ty could not be secreted and all his
neigh bors We're taxed with some show
of fairness. Mr.. White showed in the
local valuation in the six most populous
counties in the state, Cook. Peoria. ST.
Clair, Kane, Mclean and Adams, that
but IS per cent. was personally, where
as in the six least populous the person
atty amounted to 20 per cent. Mr..
White contended that the repeal of the
personally taxes would relieve six
rural counties Of 20 per cent and six
urban counties of but Is per cent of
their present burdens. The single tax
advocates would also like to have the
committee of investigation report in IA
vor of local option in the matter of tax
alton, allowing each town to raise rev.
enue for its own expenses in such man.
ner as might be deemed best. With
this much accomplished the single
of their plans, and in this way demon
strate their truth or fallacy. He cited
two cities-Aurora and Elgin-by way
of illustration, and held that if the for
mer adheres to the present system and |
the latter relieves all Industries of pub |
lie burdens Elgin would be preferred |
by manufacturers. If this is true"
inquired Mr.. White in conclusion. is it |
not an admission that the present sys- |
tenn is hindrance to production, and |
that our proposed system would eneour- |
Do you wish to encourage or retard |
the development of the various en-
terprises i'll which our citizens are en-
gaged?"
Mr.. White was followed by President |
Harding, on behalf of the Federation of |
Labor. which, after a full discussion, |
had asked for the special committee, |
not because it was prepared to accept |
the single tax, but because it was ready |
to receive light from any and every |
source. Il can not say that | fully be-
lieve in single tax" said Mr.. Harding, |
but can say that / believe it would |
be great improvement upon the sys-
tenn now in vogue. No man viii deny
that taxes now fall heaviest on those |
least able to bear them, nor will any
one maintain that these taxes do not
hamper, discourage and retard industry.
The single tax promises relief from OBJ
vious and terrible evils, and am there
fore here to urge upon the legislature
the duty OF giving the new method the