The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-06-10
soIENTIFIo TANATIoN-

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[ have noticed several communication i'm
I print, crlLcisinE my views and have re-
/ ceived various leaflets and pamphlets
with paragraphs marked 20 call my
/ special attention thereto.
All of these communication and
marked paragraphs seem 20 aim at the
I one single object of emphasizing "a GER
/ tain line of argument which 5s succiuct-
I ly presented iu marked paragraphs in "a
t leadet sent me by ALr. j. NJ. MeGarvau-
/ of Denver, Col.
/ The paragraphs are found in "a Ioadet
/ entitled '-IaNiug Land Values by AIR.
| Henry George and read as follows
] That taxes levied up5u land values. or TO use
I the puLLrlCD economic term taxes levied UPON
] rent do NOT flII u11a the user 1E lana ana eau-
+ not De transferred by the landlord 90 the ten
ant IS conceded ny llL economists of reputation
I However much they may dispute us To- other
things there ls no dispute upon this point
I W na-efef -L--i7f reasons @lf OF ---.L i- ~
I have deemed 80 gzpsdieut 10 give why she tax
on rent should u1t be more rlsortel TO- they at
/ aaIllt Lhal me lalllloA OF rent Haialf Gi-l.A-
fishes the urudls OF the land owner cannot be
shifted on the user OF land cannot add Co prices
I or check production
! H1rer for instance. is a piece OF lana that has
I a valus-L1t SO be where Sc may ITS r-lL o-
value. is the highest price that anyone VgiL give
/ for it-lt is bonus which ths mll who wants
I TO use the land must pay to the man who owns
/ the land for permission 10 use i- -Nofr i % far
De lHUisa that rent or UEii-r his il 7 rl7s al 10
70 me lriHtHgHes7 or d4J one 60 gIy more far tae
D
tbe ability grsl- 1leag7 60 de1lall more To sup
I pose, iu fact. that such "a tax could bs tlroan
/ by land owners upon tenants is 20 suppose that
/ the owners ui land DO not now EeL Tor their
land all lt ~ l bring is 90 suppose that simply
whenever they want TO, they can put up prices
The comicaI phase of the situatiou is
/ that there seems TO be an effort made to
I disa buse my mind OF ideas and theories
I never dreamed of entertaining and
certainly have never advanced. TO this
misrepresentation i seriously object AS
"a small boy might say: 81 want show
for my white alley"
For instance. the above argument
. bears upon q point liza reference TO which
have been either entirely misuuder-
stood, or else purposely misrepres
j have never even iutImltel that the
single tax would be IHdrI TO present
7 prices and thus Increase the price of all
" goods, wares and commodities offered
. for sale. / have readily conceded that
the trend of the argument seemed TO
. prove that prices would Bs decreased by
just the sum Of the tariff and rev
euue taxes and all direct taxes levied
upon buildings and goods, wares and
merchandise Indeed as the ''reut or
value ,of lanb is the highest price that
any one will give for its use" and the
single tax takes all such rent MS tax
an addition to rent would simply be an
increase of tho tlN-
But Mr.. George bcEs the question, or
. befogs the issue when Hc SO persisteutIy
I uses the term STAND sirHErs-" Under the
single tax system las I shall shortly
. prove by Mr., George there would be no
/ land owners All would alike be ten
. ants of themseIves-the people OK gov
/ erumeut-aud there would be no land
/ owners TO shift the tax. Bur- even as
/ under the present system all rents and
] all taxes levied upon land and upon
/ producing businesses are Hlr'nH1t ia
t mot added to) tine prices of all wares
commodities and services rendered SO
under the single tax system the rent or
tax WuuLu continue t. ba llr.ELrI lu
such prices i think ] have clearly
proven this i'm previous commuuications-
Occupiers and users of valuable land,
. then, all being alike tenants of the gov
srnment and paying Tor the use OF land,
more rent than any one else would pay
| would simply act as tax collectors for
the government and included i'm the
price of their goods, wares and COM
. modities would collect the single tax
and pay it over 10 the government
now want 60 prove by Mr. George
that under the single tax system there
would be no individual land owners
and that I have correctly stated the eff
1ects and workings of the system
Upon page 1s2 of Protection or Free
Trade" i find the following;
No matter how complies the indus trial organ
izltiou, Eor how highly developed thl CiVillza-
tiuu. there ls no real alalcuLlg iu carrying out
/ these principles. All g-e have % do is to- treat
the land as the joint property of tle whole ps5-
pie, just railway is treated a5 tHs joint
IIrop6rt- of many eblraholIars or as 3D. shin IS
treated as the joint property of several owners
In other words. We can leave land now being
used lu tll secure possession OF those using 10,
and leave land now unused 20 p- De taken pos
session or 1F L-27e VINO ''-7a 70 make use 9l .-
on coldLLLou that those no thus hold land shall
pay 90 the community q fair rent Tor the HEctl-
slFe privilege ileF eu49E-ihlt Is 90 say O. FelL
based on tine value of the privilege the llaIF41-
ual receives from tho community lu being ac-
corded tia exclusive use or This uuca OF The
common property ami which should have no
reference 20 any Improvement me had m-fe il
or on &C. OF 20 amy pr1-l due 20 the use of his
placed upon uu equality iu gard 20 EG1 use lul
eutogmeus og those natural elements 7rlIau are
clearly lhe common ler. -aEH- and rll. value
which attaches % land not because OF what the
individual user does. but because OF tla growth
munityr and could bee used Ger purposes of COM
mon bauedt AS Herbert Spencer has said of ir.
''suca doctrine consistent with the highest
staJ9 or civilization may De carried oNL s .Lh1--
involving "a community uf rOlIs. aud need cause
no very serious revolution ln a1zistiag arrange
msal5 The change required would De alnlp. 81
a change OF landlord Separate 0Huerallp p
would m1r-1 into Lle -1-ut-st2aa- o7.u1Failip OF
L1l p4lle instead OF beng IN ---s i'7-'.--l on
OF individuals. Ile country would be held lg
the great corporate u1lT-51eietF A
/ state OF things 50 ordered would la tu perfect
harmony WIEa Che moral law Tlfer Ir Oh uHl
would be equally landlords, All men would be
alike free 90 become tenants Clearly there
fore on such a system rh9 earth might be ina
Z closed occupied and cusEtTz-al- Ga entire no
+ ordination % Che law or lg IlL freedom
! Under such q system land would be
I held solely by virtue Of the ownership
. of the Improvements thereon and no
man could sen more than the improve
I mentss with the right OF oceupaucv- so
I long as the single tax was paid Under
such system the occupl=r and user of
valuable land would pay no more of the
rent ttaNl upon the land he occupied
than would any other individual who
I consumed as much as he did- T. e.r whose
cost Of living was equally as high Now
here Is nay contention 7 claim that.
conesdiug that under the single tax
system taxes were very largely reduced
and prices sp1ndiugIY lowered
f whatever taxes remained; Ito wits the
single tax or economic rent OF the ma
I tionl would be an indirect tax upon con
sumption and yvouldfzz ne he1giaat upon
Gts p5JF Ll5Jriug cLEssaE 1Ir- George on
page zT of Protection u- Free Trade '