The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-04-28

Enormous Va ne Of Land Created by La
Dor Enriches Millionatres.

gress and three in the senate, backed
by at least 2, ZOO, 600 voters and many
who sympathize deeply with them
although not yet called by their
name, the Populists, who in the last
election won so many victories, is q
party which the nation must now
gravely reckon as an actual existing
political force, and factor entering
into the solution of all political ques-
tions. Thousands of men voted for
Cleveland who did it tentatively and
without any strong faith in or adher-
ence to the Democratic party as one
that would right the wrongs of which
the masses of the people complain.
The farmers, the laborers in the coun-
try and the wage workers in the
cities are equally discontinued with
existing conditions, and will before
another election, if the Democrats do
not meet their demands and give re-
lief, form new party that cannot be
ignored in practical politics any
longer.
No single individual, by his own
personal labor in any industrial pur-
suit or legitimate trade, profession Or
calling, can, to use sporting phrase,
win loft his own bat'' more than
twenty, thirty or at the outside. fifty
thousand dollars in single lifetime.
What, then, are the sources of those
streams of wealth that are pouring
into the treasure vaults of our mil
( ionaires. asks a writer in the Pro-
gressive Farmer, and who. is it that
has, by hard labor, industry and
economy, earned all this wealth ?
How, for instance, have the Astors of
New York, got their millions? They
are land and city lot SPECTATORS
landlords fattening like those of
Ireland on rents and relentlessly
evicting when these rents are not
promptly paid. These rents are
charged not only on the houses and
improvements put upon the property
by the Astors, but upon the ground
rents, the location and value, the in
crement unearned by the Astors,
either by labor or expended capital,
but created by the labor and associa-
ton together in civic capacity of all
! people who have settled, built houses
and established trade and commerce
and manufactures upon Manhattan
| island and its near vicinity. This
bare ground rental or location value,
earned by the whole people OF New
York, largely exceeds the rents
fairly and honestly due the AstOrs,
but becomes a part of their
income through our present laws
which permit them to pocket the peo-
ple's hard-earned money and pose as
millionaires. Why not take this in
come of the Astors that is represent
ed by the difference of the rent justly
! due them for improvements on their
land and city lots and the rent they
collect for the location value Of the
bare land. 1t is right, fair and just
to give this to the whole people of
that city and to put it out year by
year into the public treasury, there
by relieving them of other taxation.
What is true of the Astors is true of
all other landlords and land and city
lot Spectators all over the United
States and throughout the world.
Take away the people and all that
they have done as individuals in civil
communities and aggregations of
people, and the bare lands, even with
honest improvements on it, is value
less if without population. The
moment you allow some men to
| +1,o s+c 81 h0 c<,ex, ~
others without any labor performed
by them, the moment you equip them
with the exclusive right to natural
bounties Or give them the products
of other mems labors; you create an
industrial slavery more injurious and
deadly In it's results than personal
slavery ever was. Tax the incomes
now derived from the rental value of
the bare land and make it unproft-
able for men to keep lands and other
natural gifts of the Creator idle and
unused for speculation and higher
rents when the labor and an increas-
ing population increase their value.
1t is the worst kind of extortion and
robbery not only from the masses of
the people now living but from the
generations yet unborn. Thoughts
and illustrations press for utterance.
but time and space and editorial
patience is limited.
One illustration only is given. 1t
comes in this days morning paper.
Two years ago gentleman in New
Orleans bought tract of vacant land
in that city for the sum of $4,000
Cts original cost to the first proprie-
tor was o.. The paper says: "At
that time i890) the gentleman
friends were inclined to poke fun al
him for his puHh base, but his faith in
the progress or the city and the in
crease of population was strong and
he determined to let the property lie
idle until more prosperous time ano
an accession of population and new
enterprises, industries and improve
ments made by them should enhance
its value. He judged rightly, fol
population, enterprise and commerce
came and is still coming rapidly te
| New Orleans and to-day he is offered
100000 for his property that cost
him only third of that sum and upon
which he has expended nothing ex-
cept the nominal sum collected as q
tax on unused property and this and
more he has, more than likely recov.
cred by renting shanties to fruit ven.
ders and bill posters He adds tt