Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-06
reform is asitated and discussed as single tax is

reform is agitated and discussed as single tax is
! TO-DAY its ultimate triumph is assured.
I'VE couldn't stop this movement if we tried;
even the men who set themselves against it will
but further its success. The work Of the fu-
ture'-but to keep on
THE BILL;oSAIRE.
1.-The Millionaire" received ONE very caustic
and scattering criticisms from Mr.. Thomas c.
Shearmaa Of Brooklyn, who saw that monster OF
wealth possibility If the present system is
continued. He began by giving some of his
own experiences in Brooklyn to show how
ubiquitous Is the pre-eut system OF taxation.
Years age he bought a house and started ont
by MAILING q few improvements L. He
pai:s.el the front. added a new stoop and put
In some new glass. The result ths: the as
SCISSORS had increased his valuation 25 per cent,
and he had been paving ever since in Increased
taxes more than the interest on the cost of the
improvements. He bought a lot and started a
foundation. With simply q hole In the
ground II was assessed at twice what it had
been before. II was . case OF part being
greater than the whole. He wondered wherein
could be the righteousness of such a system
of taxation. and unconsciOusly he became q
convert to the theories of Henry George before
he knew anything about the theories as ex-
pounded by that gentleman. Since that time
he had never improved the front of his house
and never would until the single tax system
prevailed. lie put all his improvements inside
or in the rear. Mr.. Sherman then went on to
show that the present inequality Of classes
arises solely and only from the present sy stem
of landordism and indirect taxation. From
this system have come the millionaires and
from it will come the Millionaire il this
system il persisted in During the next
forty years, unless something is done to
check this tendency Of the times. We shall
see that mOnst-osity. man owning / 900 mil
lions of dollars. which is 999 millions more than
ha. Enn hat 20 do xr,tl
every millionaire there will be million tramps.
This vast accumulation of wealth is brought
about by taking money from the pockets of the
poor and placing it in the pockets of the rich.
The only remedy for this. Mr.. Sherman thought.
lies i'll the introduction of free trade and the
substitution Of single tax for the present sys-
tenn OF indirect taxation.
HE TALKS OF WASHINGTON CITY.
Representative Tom L. johnson drew a clear
and pleasant picture of Washington as it
might be-" He said that the annual rental
value of land in the District Is S24 900 900. The
increase in value is $40 900 900 year while the
expense of the government Is 10000 o.
$4,000. 600. OF which the national government
pays oEe-haif. L his should not be when one
sixth OF the increase OF land values would more
than MAINTAIN the entire expense. Ii but one
half of this unearned increment were expended
upon the city, he said. it would WORK a wondrOus
NlF. Johnson SPOKE III IaNOT
government ownership of street railroads. but
showed at the same time that if the govern
ment did take the transportation lines under
control and made them free to the people 1t
would simply mean increased rents to the peo-
PIE. When natural gas was introduced into In
dianaDols ii was thought ii would work great
blessing to the city. bat lis only result to
increase the rentals. As the only wav out of
this state of things Mr. Johnson urged that the
burdens OF taxation be removed from the neces-
sites of the poor and placed upon the shoulders
whether he Thought the poor man should pay
taxes. L. was one OF the hardest questions he
had ever tried to answer, but he had answered
that he thought the poor man shoIid be taxed.
Only he should pay taxes on what ne had. which
is very little. and not on what he needs, which
is great deal
OTHER SPEECHES.
Representative Jerry Simpson advocated the
cause of his constituent, the farmer, who
needed to be taught that single tax was better
than double tax. The only way. he said, was TO
appeal 70 the average seitshness of the COM
munity. and with the army of agriculturists
behind the single tax increment it would be
pushed forward to success.
Statis:Ician Henry 4. Robinson discussed the
subject of wages. which he defined as the share
OF the profits of production which the laboring
man gets after every loafer in the country has
been satisfied. He classed landlords with grass
hoppers ana potato bugs. which lived upon the
unearned Increment Of the land.
The now famous single tax battle at Hyatts-
vile reviewed by Mr.. Jackson II. Ralst on,
who declared that although the cause was tenn
pOrarilv under eclipse a result of the recent
decision of the Maryland court of appeals it
would triumph in the end.