The herald., 1894-09-11
THE SINGLE TAX IDEA.
THE PLAN DISCUSSED AT LAST
NIGHTS MEETING.
Rev. X. M. wshster Argues on the
Advantage of Co-operatien as
Applied to Economio.
Matters.

One OF the largest and most intelli
gent audiences that has yet attended
the single tax meetings assembled at
Unity church laet night and en-
ioyed q lecture from Rev. Mr..
r. M. Webster, on The Lines Of
Social Evolution. The speaker contend
ed that wherever real progress--progres
of the most desirable kind-had been
made it was by virtue OF co operation.
Ii would be difficult for any speaker to
present the claims OF co operation in q
stronger light than did Mr.. Webster.
He also spoke most kindly and hatter-
ingly of the single takers, though
differing from them ON two or three
minor points. He thought the
single tax movement in this city was an
excellent thing for educational purposes.
But he hoped for time somewhere in
the future when universal cooperation
would prevail and an era of brotherly
kindness be the happy lot of all then
living.
In response to question from William
s. Creighton. in a brief speech, as to
what would be the frat step toward gen.
eral cooperation. MIR. Webster replied:
Probably the single tax" This reply
ELECTED storm OF applause.
After the address there followed dis
cussion. called out by numer-
Gus questions. 1t was one OF
the livelieat discussions OF the series.
The participants were Messrs. Ponders,
Levi, Coreigton, Hoyt and several
others. Opposers of the single tax
urged variety of objections, all of
which were promptly answered. Ralph
Il. Hcyt said it was absurd for people
to clammer for the issuing OF more
money by the government when there
was hundreds OF millions now lying idle
because OF the limited inducements to
use il.
A paper recently stated that the
deposits in the savings banks of Califor-
MIA at this time aggregate $3.50. COG, 600.
1t WAS recently reported that the banks
OF New York held $50 ,00G, 000 and the
San Francisco banks 100000 above
their legal reserves. Doubtless similar
conditions exist in all the other great
msRey centers of the land.
Ii is reported that there are about
"a, GOO. 900 of idle money in the Los An
gelss banks. A recent count of the coin
in the sub,treasury at San Francisco re-
vealed the fact that there we're $40, 000,-
coo in that institution. There 10
money ell around ue. But
natural opportunities were moaopolized
to such an extent that labor and capital
could not produce wealth az they other
wise could and would. From ocean to
ocean labor and capital were idle. The
reason was obvious. Land, the passive
factor in all wealth production. was held
out OF use for speculative purposes.
Land ownership never earned any.
thing. Labor earns it all. Then why
should land ownership get even one per
cent of what labor ssrne? So long as
the people of the United States were
giving to land owr ship three billions
of dollars yearly. ne way OF unearned
increment, they would have "hard
times."
The single tax provided safs and a
just remedy.
Mr.. Creighton made the closing
speech, brief and to the point, uphold
ing the single tax.
1t was announced that next Monday
night there would be joint debate be-
tween two able speakers on taxation,
and incidentally on the money quee-
ton, to be followed by questions and
anewers.