The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-07-20
communication.

CarrOlltOwn, Pa, July 10th, 1894.
ED. FREEMAN:-On May 1St in the
course of some remarks on the labor ques-
tiOn | said that the cause of the great
social problems, the enormously unequal
distribution of wealth and of so much
poverty in Il land of plenty, is land monOp-
oily, and that this state of affairs could be
cured by untaXing labor and labor pro-
ducts and processes and instead taxing
nothing but land value exclusive of i'm
prOvement>, which would prevent mOnOp-
oily of natural resources, give labor access
to land and secure to the laborer the full
value of his toll.
The next issue of the FREEMAN contain
ed letter signed J. NJ. trying to ridicule
that single tax idea" by an illustration
that simply illustrated the fact that the
writer of il did not understand the idea
in question. He has since persisted in
calling it a dangerous doctrine and gave a
theory of a graduated land tax which he
saws would answer the purpose much bet
ter.
As a basis he lays down these PROPOSE
tiOnS: However much political ecOno-
miStS NAV talk of high tariff, low tariff or
absolute free trade as a panacea for the
present business depression, the over
sh3dOwing problem is the land question.
The homestead of the toier is at once the
bulwark of political. social and economic
freedom. As the world was created for all
IL Is by right common heritage"
Any one who calls the Henry George
theory dangerous doctrine either does
not believe in the above principle or he
does not know what he fiippantly charac-
terized as dangerous.
}. NJ. says: Each individual is en-
dOwed by the fact OF his existence with the
right to the free use of so much of Gods
earth as is sufficient for him to provide by
his labor, either mental or manual or botf
Il SUfficiency of the neceSSarieS and com
forts of civilized life for himself and those
of right dependent on him."
Suppose there should not be land enough
In a community 20 go around at this rate.
would the last comers be disiuherited? Or
If there should be more than enough, to
whom would the surplus belong?
Henry George says: "All men have
equal rights TO the use of the earth " Lee,
there be sufficiency, a scarcity or abund
ance, all have equal rights To what there
Is of it. Yet this is the dangerous doc.
trine which is captivating the minds OF
many intelligent men,
Criticising the single tax platform: "All
men are equally entitled to the use of The
earth. Therefore no one should be Der
mitted to hold land without paving To the
community for the privilege thus accord :
ed | answer: If all men have coma
rights 10 the use of the land, they have
equal rights to every part of the land
hence if any one is granted exclusive DOS.
session of any part of il he thus gets A
privilege for the value of which he sheuId
pay the community.
Now if each one who holds land does
this and the fund so raised is used for the
expenses of the government and otbe,
purposes for which taxes are now raised
justice will be done to all concerned, tn,
equal rights of all will be maintained.
The right of property is based on tn,
right of the individual to himself. If q
man is a slave he cannot own property for
whatever he produces belongs to his mas.
ter. But if a man is free, owns himself