The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-06-11
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT
Progress in England.

An election CT the utmost importance
10 the single tax agitation is now pend |
ing in London. New members of the
London county council are soon to be
chosen, and the question of taxing
ground values, is the issue.
At a recent conference Lord Monks
well, who took the chair, explained the
situation regarding public improve
ments in the city, substantially as fol-
lows:
The making of public Improvements
is not merely a question of policy, it is
also a question of money, because, I'M
til the county council can get money by
taxation out of the landlords, they will
have to be more niggardly than they
like to be in forwarding London i'm
provements These Improvements are
all for the benefit of the landlord, who
contributes very little towards them
The change proposed in the law is in
two directions First the placing OF
separate tax on the value of land, as
distinguished from the value OF build
ings The first object had the sanction,
he believed. of the entire liberal party,
and was foremost plank in their plat
form. In the separate taxation OF
ground rents it would be quite impos-
sible for the landlord to put the screw
on the tenant or to shift the burden on
to him. Landlords would not on that
account be able to raise the rents; the
effect would be to lower them In con-
clusion, he did not think it lay in the
mouths of the dukes and other ground
landlords of London to talk about a
policy of confiscatien-
This conference was held for promot-
ing the objects of an address issued last
autumn by the executive committee OF
THE United Committee for the Taxa
ton of Ground Values in London" of
which society Lord Monkswel is pres
ident and Frederick Verinder is secre-
tary. The address is what in the
United States would be called a plat
form. 1t was issued in contemplation
of the approaching county council cleo
ton, and it declares the principles
upon which the single tax men OF Lon
don appeal for increased support Here
is the text:
The prominence now given to the de-
mand for the taxation of land values in
the programme of the liberal and radi.
cal party is at once testimony to the
value of the work done by the commit
tee in the past and an incentive to in
creased exertions in the future. To Sc
cure the ground which has already
been won, and to give greater definite
ness to the current proposals OF reform,
much educational work, involving I
considerable expenditure, will be nee
essary.
Moreover, this question is becoming
more important, and more urgent thai
ever in connection with almost ever,
department of local government Re
cent legislation on the housing of thu
people. supplemented by pressure from
the government and from public opin
ion, is tending to increase the expendi
lures of local bodies for sanitary pur
poses The demands for better schools
better education, public libraries, baths
wash-houses, open spaces and the like
are increasing the amount and aggra
waiting the burden of the rates Mean
while, the increased value which al
these public improvements confer upol
the land of the towns goes into tn
pockets of the landlords, who. as tn
landlords, contributes nothing directl..
to the rates by whose expenditure
they are so largely benefited
The London county council has re
fused to proceed with some of its mor'
costly improvement schemes until
shall have the power to rate groun
landlords to their cost Every locs
body has to face a similar difficulty; an
no doubt many of them, failing reforr
of the incidence of local taxation, Wi
follow the example. of the Londo
county council
Either the most urgent public i'll
provements must be neglected.; or tn
burden of their cost must be added
the already unjust burdens of the o.
cupier; or the reform advocated by tn
committee must be adopted by paris
ment.
This was signed on behalf OF the e.
ecutiye committee by Lord Monkswel
]. +. TORI, ]. Fletcher Moulton an
Frederick Nerlnder.
A pamphlet recently published |
William Saunders, member OF tt
London county council, and lately
member of parliament describes Il
agitation which led up to the addres
The issue-as he states twas thi
Builders or occupiers of premis'
have to pay rates; the value OF lar
created by the expenditure OF rat
goes to the ground landlord 1t is co
tended that the ground landlor
who obtains the value, should contri
ute to the rates by which the value
created" This proposal is called Il
taxation of ground values When Il
county council was elected, the quo
ton of taxing ground values excit
.~ra,t ;uterest and while il was adm