The herald., 1894-04-03
THE SINGLE TAKERS MEET
ElOquence to Convince and
Music to Amuse.
Powerful Speakers to Appear Here
Next Month.
Lawyer Creighton Speaks Briefly bat
ElOquently and Promises =
More Elaborate Effort
Next Time.

Next Time.
The public meeting of the Single Tax
club last night at Unity church opened
with large and highly intelligent au-
dience, attracted by the interesting pro-
gramme previously announced, and feel
ing desire to obtain more light on the
important subject of taxation. The
meeting as a whole was another indica-
ton that the movement started several
weeks ago by few indefatigable advo-
Gates of the single tax philosophy in
this city ia growing and intensiiying.
Acceasions to the club membership are
reported daily, and among the number
are men and women from nearly all the
respectable walks Of life. The members
expect that the two lectures to be given
here under the clubs management by
Louis f. Post, the official lecsdrer, May
7th and 9th, will be followed by
genuine single tax "boom,"
so to speak; and from that time on the
work will be pushed for ward with aug
mented vigor, in all directions. But
even no rapid progress is reported.
Last night Ralph +. Hoyt, president
Of the club, stated that competent per-
sons were gathering uome very striking
taxation statistics from the records of
this city and county, showing how the
present system operates to discourage
enterprise and reward speculation. AT
the next meeting there would be a
black board illustration and some object
lessons calculated to make people open
their eyes and do more thinking. The
chairman then mentioned taxation in
cidsnt that recently came to the surface
in New York city, as one possessing
rather more than ordinarily interesting
features. He said:
From religious newspaper l learn
that the city OF New York has just pur-
chased small piece of ground near the
heart OF that metropolis for park pur-
poses under the following circumstances
Many years ago the powerful and
wealthy corporation known as Trinity
church purchased for all consdsra-
tion from some pretended owner piece
of ground on Hudson street, which
became part of the corporations assets
and has been tenacionsly held on to
ever since until a few days ago. As
this laws OF New York kindly exempt
ell church property from taxation, in
order that the 'heathen' of the state
NAV thus be compelled to indirectly
help support the churches, the Trinity
corporation has for years been dipping
into real estate speculatione quite freely
A lew years ago It's total untaxed assets
were reputed to be worth nearly or
quite So 000,000. Well, the little piece
ci land on Hudson street was never i'm
proved by its owners, though it was put
! to use in q peculiar way, considering
| it's central location, 1t w2s
used as a cemetery. The
cest-off garments OF a few human souls
have been buried there. Meanw hile
the city has grown enormously; inn
| provements have been made all around
that ground, and it's value has doubled
many times. Whatever value it now
has is due solely to the enterprise and
growth OF the community as q whole
The rich corporate owner never improved
that laud q particle, nor does it appear
that the occupants of it ever did any
thing toward improving it. But the
city, by its own growth, has made that
spot of earth one of the most vaIuab BILE
graveyards, for the size of it, in the
world. Now the city needing it for a
park pays the church corporation $500, i,
600 for what the community itself made
valuable. In other words, the tax
payers of the Empire city pay more than
half million dollars for value OF their
own creating. The whole transaction is
go absurd as to be even laughabIe-or
would be if it were not such a grave
subject.
nd ~ fharo pa - r., ol
iect lessons in other large cities, and
right here in Los Angeles, bearing on
this question Of taxation, minus the
graveyard feature. The single tax would
do away with such absurd taxation and
substitute even-handed justice for de-
moralizing discrimination"
William s. Creighton, esq.,, who had
been announced to deliver the principal
speech OF the evening, excused himself
from protracted talk. He said:
"The insistence of the persuasive
president of this club elected a rash
promise from me last Friday that I
would speak to you tonight on The Es-
sential Democracy of the Single Tax Doc
trine. The topic deserves, and this as
semblage has right to expect, g pre-
pared address; but, | am sorry to ssy
that within the few hours afforded me
to mature some reflections worthy of
your intelligent consideration, my time
has been 80 engrossed with matters alien
to the subject announced, that deem it
due alike to myself and you to ask leave
to postpone my speech until another oc-
casion. | advised President Hoyt to
this effect last Saturday, but he said the
announcements had already gone out,
and l must at least. appear here and
throw myself upon your clement indul.
gence-as | do now. At another con.
vention of this club purpose to furnish
a paper devoted to the discussion of the
essential democracy of the single tax
doctrine and the cognate teachings of
Henry George.
II am persuaded that such an expo
sition is of Importance to us at this
time, when the rank and file OF the
Democratic party are turning away
with undisguised disappointment and
disgust from the inconsequential per-
iormance of their misrepresentation in
congress, and are saying, one to ancth-
er, III party Democracy does not mean
the very antithesiH Of protec.lonism, let
it be anathemaP With pathetic idel-
ity to party, these men would have been
content to accept that half a loaf which
is better than no bread-'a tariff for