The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-06-22
SUCCESSFUL SOCIALISM.
New Zealand is Pointing Ont the way i
Industrial Freedom.


increased majority in the first election
where women voted) has greatly strength
ened the administration of the factory acts
forbidding child labor, and passed COM
plete employers liability.
| All public works and there are very
many, for the railroads. telegraphs, tele-
phones, etc., belong to the government
are conducted without the contractors aid.
In railroad work, for instance, the gov
ernment engineer makes a plan. and the
work is then divided into small sections,
each of which is given directly to CO.
operative group of workmen.
They receive the price agreed on and di-
vide it among themselves and government
inspectors see that it is well done.
The consul says that they work industri-
ously.
Tools and raw material belong to the
government.
Employment bureaus, insurance and
savings banks are allin government hands.
Unemployed workmen are given trans
pOrtation to the nearest government works.
Had the people of New Zealand stopped
at this point they would still have led the
world in the rational solution of vexing
social problems. But they did not stop.
| The government has assumed control of
native lands, opened them up, and Will
either lease, rent or sell outright to a set
tier on easy terms whatever ground he
may require, or if he has no money, will
advance him a sufficient sum to make his
first payments, ana to begin his improve
mentS. The system of land tenure and
taxation is modified application of the
principles expounded by Henry George.
| Most of the ground is leased in perpetuity
or rented out by the state at an annual
rate val ying from 4 to per cent of its cash
value. Land owned by individuals is taxed
at low figure, providing it does not ex-
ceed in value $25, 600. On all property over
that amount in value, special graded tax
is assessed, which increases with the in
crease in size and value of the estate, be-
| coming almost prohibitive when that value
gets beyond $15O,O00. 1t is the settled
policy of the New Zealand government to
prevent the acquisition of a great tract of
land by any individual or corporation. If,
however, any victim of this policy thinks
his taxes too high, the state always stands
ready to purchase his property. Small
holders have scarcely any tax to pay on
their land, and none whatever on improve
mentS. The state also acts as trustee, adj
ministers estates at the actual cost of adj
miniStration, and runs a free public en-
ployment bureau, with branches in every
town, where the mutual requirements of
employers and employees all over the col
Ony may be ascertained.
The country in the last few years, in
consequence of the new legislation and its
advantages, has made wonderful progress.
These socialist reforms were bitterly OPP
posed, but socialism has brought none of
the expected evils in its train.
On the contrary, the country has flour
ished
The report is additionally important
from the fact that the consul is against all
legislative interference, and closes with
the statement that those who are accus-
toned to the great principles of legisla ion
in the United States to create individual
independence must d;sapprove of the New
Zealand legislation
The foregoing is a compilation of facts
and figures found IN the Pittsburg Kansan
and Chicago Times. But from the Courier,
single tax paper published at ST. Louis,
we clip the following:
The editor of the Courier has received
letter from United States Consul John D.
Connolly. at Auckland, New Zealand,
dated April 13, in which he says:
''There are large number of single
takers in this country who are constantly
advocating the single-tax as panacea for
many of the evils this country is suffering
from. l may add that l am not wholly
converted to the theory, but 1 am, be-
lieve, rapidly approaching that stage whe
1 must in justice admit that the principle
of the Single-tax is not only feasible and
practicable, but that it is daily forcing it
self within the range of practical politics
as a just an economic method of taxation.
am forced to this conclusion in conse-
quence of the experience 1 have gained
here of its practical working, although it is
only enforced to limited EXTENT
The importance of his admission that
the principle of the Single-tax is feasible.
practicable and ga just and economic me-
thOd of taxation,'' win be appreciated by
all who have seen the full text of this re-
port which has so recently attracted the
attention of the whole American press. In
that report ne argued that the single-tax
small, struggling farmers into shallow
WATER and expressed his opinion that it
Would not be adopted there in the near
future; that the farmers ''wOuld resist it to
the bitter end-if, indeed they did not rise
in open reyolt-for they look upon the
single-tax with horror, and regard its intro
duehon as little less than spoiiation.n
But Mr.. Connolly has evidently learned |
more about it since his report was written, |
and we admire his candid confession that
he is being convinced in spite of his pre-
JUDGES.
ut is significant that while many are
claiming that the prosp Gritty of New Zea-I
land is due to its socialistic legislation, Mr..
Connolly sees in that prosperity irresistible
arguments for the principle of taxing land /
values for public use. And as his letter +
was written since his last report on soci-
alistic legislation, which the papers are
ROW commenting upon, it speaks volumes
for the single taxi
1t may be remarked. however, that the
is but scientific method of ap-
plying the principles of socialism to land.
Testing the Eyes.