The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-11

wnAr Is rHn SINGLE TAXI


The single tar aims 70 abolish ell other
taxes. direct and indirect. Federal and
state as well rs municipal. The whole aim
and scope of Henry Georges philosophy is
70 abolish private ownership Of land, and
the single tar is 3 mere device 10 accom-
plish that end without too much disturb
sncs Of existing forms. On pages 362-s6o
Of progress and Poverty" George says;
.we should satisfy the law Of justice,
we should meet all economic require
msnts. by st one stroke abolishlng ali
private Titles. declaring oil land public
property and letting it out to The highest
bidders ia lots 10 suit, under such eondt-
tons as would saersdiy guard the private
right 10 Improvements
I'VE already take some rent In taxation.
We haye only TO make some changes In
our modes OF taxation TO take e all
"Iu this way the state may become the
Universal landlord without calling herself
90 and without assuming q single new
function. Ia form the ownership Of land
would remain Just as now. No owner OF
land need be diapossessed. and no rsstrie-
tion need be placed upon the amount OF
taken by the state ia taxes, no matter in
whose name 1t stood or In what parcels IL
was held, il would be really common
property. and every member Of the COM
innnity would participate Ia the advan.
tagos Of It's ownership"
Under the single tax there Is no way OF
sscertaining "acsnai land values, !" except
by putting up the land to the highest
bidder at frequent intervals; the present
assessed values are sometimes much above.
sometimes much below the real value:
the aim Of the single tar Is 10 take the
actual rental value Of land yearly ss an
impost: whoever takes thu full rent of the
land which the single tax theory requires
owns the land. and the occupier must pay
rack rent or run the risk OF dispossesson.
These are some Of the obvious objections
TO the single tar theory II IL were placed
IN practice. which IL never will be. because
the farmers. the worksngmen and the me
chanics viii never accept the proposal of
Mr.. George to put all taxes on the rental
value OF the land. They will persist in
their endeavor 10 compel personal property
TO pay it's share OF the cost of government.
despite the fact that the practical diffi-
cultles in the way OF bringing personal
property to book are very great
We csn understand the enthusiasm with
which land reformers welcomed Henry
the land tar vas fixed in 1693 under the
reign Of William the Third. Since that
date the land has increased in value i'm
mensely. but the tax has never been altered
save when 1t has been RENTED. The
national taxes in England have been levied
on the people and the local taxes have
been levied. not on the property but on
the tenants. The renters in England
have been tsred TO pay for betterments
that have prompted grasping landlords to
advance rents. But in America the farmer
pays In taxes "the unearned increment"
of bis lands. and Georges proposition 10
soniiscate all the rent Of land proper. ex.
elusive Of buildings aud other improve
ments. by taxation finds no favor with the
American farmer or worktngmAn who
have any property. because they see that
abe George theory reduced 20 practice
would ROB labor aud increase the in
come OF the plutoerat. would disman-
tie the cottage and protect the palace.
uuaeE Georges scheme the poor would
really be robbed TO help the rich.
The house that costs = million would paw
no tax. while tae lot on which IL stands
would pay no more tax than q similar 10,
owned by mechanic. THIS would result
in abe eonascatson Of all small properties
and concentration Of al real estate in the
h.ads 81 the most wealthy. for only the
large buildings could nAy the land tar.
Those able to build the mSss expensive
structures would Re able 60 endure the tar
thss would mean eonnsoAtion TO poor
hoass and lsndholasr.
The single tax Of coarse IL not rer f.
ins Issue. and really obtains no serious at
tsntion from anybody save the iazy aad
unthrifsy who dream. drool and lounge
their lives away waiting for that Utopiaa
boar when every idicr who seek. some
thing for nothing viii set what he wants.