The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-29
SINGLE TAX DISCUSSION.
Frank FinIayson Makes an Address OF
the Su bisot.


Frank Finlayson Makes an Address on
the Subject.
Promptly at the regular hour OF meet
ing, the Los Angeles Single Tax club
opened With an interesting programme.
The orator OF the evening was the Hon.
Frank Finlayuon, who. having favored
the club on previous occasion, was
heartily received. There are statesmen
Eco cslled) who are eternally searching
high and low for policies and measures
of expediency. and strange to say they
succeed in finding every single pol icy in
existence except the right one ss q rule
our law makers are afraid OF what they
know to be right; afraid to do right
because it would not be expedient. We
have come brave men left, however, who
believe in justice, who have discovered
that in justice lies the highest expedi-
ency, and that the shortest and surest
road to expedient laws is to simply in
quire is it right? II law is right 1t Is
expedient; if wrong it is surely mex
pedient. Mr.. Finlayson is one of that
kind of men.
He Carefully examined into the
present tax laws and found grave faults.
Then he examined proposed reforms and
selected the single tax "a the only tax
which is right. All other taxes are
wrong, and therefore he advocates the
abolition OF all faulty or wrong taxes and
the adoption of the scientific or wright
tax.
Mr.. Finlayson in his speech ably
showed the main faults and results of
the protective tariff. explained the
workings OF our farcical personal prop
erty tax, and denounced the income
tax, after which he dwelt at length on
the land value tax. He was especially
strong in his refutation of the objection
commonly raised against the adoption OF
the single tax, namely, that single tax
would destroy the selling. value of land
and that therefore the owners OF land
should be compensated for their loss.
Tbs only claim the land owner has to
the land is that he paid somebody for
the land. Did not the slave owner of
Did paying for the slave give right of
ownership? Did paying for the planet
give ownership OF the planet?
The trouble is, the slave and the land
were originally sold by parties who had
that since that time the people have al
lowed such proceedings is no reason why
we should not wake up and assert our
natural right to the planet we live on.
This can be done, and will be done by
means OF the single tax. No one will be
dispossessed Of land by the single tax.
ALI those who hold land now can con-
!inue to do go. but they must equalize
natural benefits by paying to the people
the rental value OF land, irrespective OF
improvements.
Ralph E. Hoyt called attention to the
recent real estate deal in Chicago, re-
ported by the Single Tax club Of that
city, as q sample of land speculation.
He said:
about 10 months ago H. H. Kohl
saat, late principal owner OF the Inter
Ocean, paid $4,000 for a piece OF
ground 67x75, on Van Buren, street and
Customhouse place. A few days ago he
sold that "dirt" for $3.50, 900, making a
clean profit OF $140,0 900, or about 20 per-
cent on his investment. During the
past four years the value OF that little
piece OF ground increased $198, 900. The
taxes paid on it during that period, as
shown by an examination of the
records, amounted to only $1,000. As
the ground was practically vacant, and
brought no income to the owners, the
assessors dealt very gently with them.
After deducting the $1,000 paid into the
public treasury as taxes. we find the
snug sum of $19l, 900 which Mr.. Kohl
saat and the previous owner have re-
csived from the ground, with no labor
or Improvements on their part,
but by reason of the growth
and enterprise of the community,
No wonder that the Inter Ocean
under Mr.. Kohlsaat's management
was bitterly opposed to the single tax.
Yet nobody should blame that gentle
man, or his predecessor in ownership,
for making fortunes by real estate spec
ulations. ARd 30 long as such grand
opportunities are offered in turning over
corner lots what inducement ia there for
moneyed men to inveet in productive
industries? None whatever And
every growing city shows similar CAGES
to the one l have mentioned, therefore
single tax is needed to discourage for
tune making through speculation in
natural resources, and to offer stronger
Inducements for using them. Los An.
geles probably has as many such object
lessons, proportionate to Its size, as has
Chicago. 1t is time for the people
everywhere to demand local option in