The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-09-09
! MlLLennluM CONDITION.
The Single Tax Has Banishsd Hard Times
From New Zealand.

HE
CHICAGO, Sept. a-Faith in the eff.
cacy of the single tax is what led Rob
ert Austin to travel nearly 10000 miles
from his New Zealand home to take
part in the deliberations Of the single
tax congress. And his faith is based
upon an actual experience with the sin
gle tax, which his country has adopted
and put in operation. When asked
what led to the adoption of the single
tax and to say something of its practi-
cal effects Mr.. Austin replied: 1.-THE con-
ditions which resulted in the adoption
OF an economic tax on land values be-
gan with the financial crisis of 1878,
which was brought about by the great
Glasgow bank failure in the same year,
and continued until the people of the
country were driven to seek relief
through some form OF legislation. 1t
will be remembered that the great
maratime strike, in which all the PEG
pie of the sister colonies took an active
part, was a complete failure. The New
Zealand portion of the strikers. how
ever, realizing the failure of strikes,
concluded to depend on legislation for
relief. The single tax advocates saw
their opportunity, though their princi-
pie wa but little understood, and
considerable prejudice existed against
it, yet by coupling their meas
ure with much that was already D
lar succeeded in getting the single tax
in a modified form into operation.
There was a strong feeling existing
against large holdings in the country,
and a desire to break up the evil. The
ipoNYna tov r-oc o1rO roo,,1,, I'D -.
combining the single tax principle with
that of the income tax, thereby MAX
ing Il graduated land value and income
tax, the campaign proved successful,
and parliament went into power with
a working majority of one-third; $500
sterling exemption upon land values,
and 96 per week on incomes, practi-
cally exempted tho working people
from taxation, and this made it
very popular. From the point of
exemption the tax begins at a half
penny on the pound up to 3 pence,
which was n maximum of 92OO, 900. One
large institution, the New Zealand
Mercantile and Agency company, which
owned one-third of the lands of the
colony as the result Of foreclosures and
land purchases. was latterly compelled
by this Ia per cent tax to invite labor
to utilize their lands. The tide of pop
ulation set in and prosperity began to
dawn, yet lnborers did not come fast
enough to meet this company's needs
and they chartered six ships to go to
Ulster and bring therefrom immigrants
to work the lands and earn the tax to
make the holdings profitable. When
the labor party went into power
the rtreasury was depleted. The
first year afterward there was a
surplus of nearly 1900, 900, the second
year over e4oo, 900, and the third year
over $500. 900. The unemployed of the
country were set to work to make pub
lie improvements, so that the conges-
ton of labor, which had shown itself
by crowds marching through the
streets of the great cities with banners
calling for work and refusing to accept
charity, was relieved. The men Of
New Zealand are now asking the ques-
ton If the application of the single tax
to the degree of IA per cen only will
produce the grand results l have noted,
what will not the full application of
the single tax principle accomplish for
the laboring people and the country?"