The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-05-13
- coNsuMEH - IT.

L
III / shall have to turn tly attention 20
the task of defending my position in re-
gard 70 the single tax 4 have just read
the communication from A. w. Turner
in criticism of my views and as the
ideas Mr. Turner advances are a fair
sample of the uhsurdlties generally OF
fered as arguments by our single TAX
friends, viii briefly anulyze has com
muuicatiou.
Mr.. Turner either asserts or leaves us
to infer that he holds; First, that rent
is not shifted hy tenants uuder the pres
eut system Second, that rent under
the present system is NOT charged mp TO
the cou~aIaers OF goods and the users of
services, and that the single tax teco-
uomic remit would not be so charged
under the single tax system Third
that ''rcuL is no part of either cost or
price"
1t is passing strange that Mr.. Turner
docs not grasp the idea chat, as q single
tu,zer. ne destroys with his own argu-
meuts all reason for his being If. as
he says, rent under the present system
Is not included iB the price of goods
commodities and services. and is not
borne by the whole people but is paid
by merchants and business men out of a
special fund they have set apart for that
purpose. then the whole argument OF
the single takers, tending TO show the
a remedial measure, falls TO the ground
of its own weight and the size OF this
special fund in each individual case
measures the time for which the mer-
chant can avoid bankruptcy.
The truth is, however, that Mr. Tur-
ner is ggrievously mistaken i'm the prem
ises- Under the present system all mer-
chants and others occupying land for
income producing businesses lmerchau-
disiug) who fail TO include all expenses,
including rent, freight, insurance ETC.
i'm the estimate of first cost OF goods on
their shelves. must sooner or later go
into bankruptcy In the case of manu-
factured articles, interest upon the value
of the plant land, building machinery
etc. where the manufacture owns the
land and building, and in case he is a
tenant, rent for the same are items of
expense which enter into the cost of the
manufactured article. In large cities as
in Chicago, owing to the greater volume
of business, or number of sales a smaller
profit ON each sale makes mp the ueces-
sary gross profit on the gross sales out of
which the high rents may be paid and
yet the usual net profit be realized on
the capital invested On the other hand,
i'm the smaller cities and towns although
rents are much lower, vet on account of
the smaller volume of business, or mum
Der OF sales, a much larger gross profit
must be realized on each sule iu order
that a satisfactory net profit may be
realized after paying all expenses, or
items of cost including rent but IN
each case, in the large city as in the
small town, rent is included i'm the price
/ OF all goods sold. Owners of land oc-
cupyiug such land, in their own build
ings for income producing businesses,
receive, first, rent lfor land and build
[ ings)5 second, interest upon capital in
. Sen
of all this they retain possession Ten
ants on such land, who own neither
land or building, receive just the same
items. but the rent for land and build
I ing they must hand over to the land
lord who owns such land and building
Z TG both cases all three items, rent, in-
I tcrest and profit, are included in the
/ prices of goods sold and collected from
! the customersr or people The differ
/ enCe proposed by the single tax Is tC
[ pay the land rent 90 the people, or gov
] ernmsnt tthg government becoming
| the universal laudl1rdl, as q tax iu-
! stead Of paying it to the individuals
] but 7 defy hIr- Turner, or any other
man, TO show wherein the person occu,
| pying the building aud land, would pay
l any more of such land rent than was
/ paid by any of his customers who con
sumed as much as he did
! Now as 90 that specious but sophisti
! cal argument concerning corn, or Other
/ products produced ou farm lands o0
I varying values OF prices and of varying
+ degrees of fertility there is no HrEu
ment about it, if one does but probe tho
/ subject 20 the bottom
Value attaches TO agricultural land
I first, because Of its relative uearucss @,
/ good markets and consequent RELATIVE
sEuaIIuess of the expensive item caIIes
transportation Second because of it,
relative greater fertility and the couss
quent relative greater yield of farm
products for any given amount Of labo
expended Now, where is Mr.. Turner
argument The man occupying tn
more valuable laud-sav, for instance
''a farmer who rented rich corn Ian,
that would yield say 90 bushels 20 tn,
acre" does, iu fact, compel tHJ
consumer to pay the difference
in his rent and the rent Tor corn Liant
that produced only % bushels per acre
Could Mr. Turner see beyond the eud o.
I mis- nose he would perceive that profit
Gin all avocatiDusl increased in eEaclIl
the same ratio as rents, such increase il
I profits being i'm fact the basis AND
I excuse for the increase iu rents
Profits make value; value is the basis %
rent A certain amount Of labor equal
in one case 90 bushels at 90 cents, O.
Elas and in the other case 25 bushels a
20 cents or $500. Rent iu the first casE
oue-third. or s#G8; rent in the secon
/ case oue-tnird- or E1-1l, and Eg.81 ne
Z wages for the given amount OF labor
/ while the first party receives e9-a8 TO
the same amount of labor Now wGa
should under proper conditions, set tn
price for the corn iu both cases I So
land of average fertility and an aFeraP
haul to marlzzti the items of cost bein
I interest on value of land and buildings
machinery work animals, tools etc
and cost in labor OF production Th
occupying land owners, not tenants
I adjusting the price at which corn
sold Az this price both the tenant
and the landlords corn Is sold, reIt an
labor cost being blended together, Will
the consumer pays both the rent an
the labor cost But why does Mr.. Tul
uer select tenants as HIustrati tioua
I why not come % the point aHd. a
. IzuowledgiuE that land owning farm
ers should lif they do mott receive t'scg
nomtc rent + e., Interest oE value q
land, endeavor to show that such reu
Is not ''shifted7 by the various zuiddl
men, grain dealers HliIIars, etc, unit
at last IL is paid by the consumer Of ia