Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-07-06
THE CAUSE OF HARD TIMES.

THE CAUSE OF HARD TIMES.
The single Tax Cure for Industrial De-
pressions Explained by nm Eminent Adj :
vocate.
Lewis 4. Post in Portland Tom ahawk.
1t is obvious that nothing can cure hard
times which does not reach down to the
fundamental cause Of hard times. But
amidst the Babel OF alleged causes, how
may We distinguish the fundamental one
simply? This apparently difficult ques-
ton is easily answered. We need only
to consider the fundamental cause of good
times, for hard times bear the relation to
good times that sickness bears to health.
Now the fundamental cause OF good
times must be something without which,
no matter what else We had, good times
would be impossible. OF what can We
think that answers to this decription
We can think OF nothing but the union
of two classes OF things. One 10 human
labor; the other Is that great natural
reservoir of wealth which we call LAND !"
and which includes all the matter, all
the force, and all the space that labor
demands for the exercise OF it's powers.
With the union OF these two factors there
would be no limit to good times short of
the possibilities of human knowledge and
skill on the one hand, and Of natural re-
sources and space on the other.
If for the promotion Of the general
prosperity labor required machinery or
capital of any other kind, its multiform
powers Of brain and Drawn would bring
it forth from and upon the land. II labo.
required a common medium of exchange
or better one, it wound invent and pro-
duce that. So long as labor+ and land#
came freely together, no monopoly Of
capital, nor of media Of exchange, nor
OF anything else of human origin,
could thwart labor or even put 1t to an
Inconvenience beyond trifiing degree
and for an inconsiderable time. In that
condition such monopoly would be of
less moment as blight upon general
prosperity than conflagration like those
We have frequently experienced without
any OF the symptoms of hard times. The
union of labor and land, therefore, is the
fundamental causes Of hard times.
But ia there any separation OF labor and
land to which observation may trace the
hard times now pressing upon us through
out the civilized world? Yes. Intelli-
gent observation traces these phenomena
directly to that fundamental cause. La
Dor is separated from land in greater or
less degree whenever any laborer ia COM
PEELED to surrender more OF his labor for
the land he requires than is equivalent to
the difference in productiveness be-
tween that land and the poorest land
that is in actual and appropriate use. So
long as the value of any land is not more
than the difference between its produc.
tiveness and the productiveness of the
poorest land in actual and appropriate
use, the user of the former pays only the
greater laboriDg advantage that he enjoys
over the user Of the latter; and the user
OF the latter secures access to very SUI
perior land without any pay
ment at all. But when unused
land is appropriated and withheld from
labor until its scarcity vastly increases
its value, the laborer who pays nothing
for land is forced to the very poorest that
can be found, and he who uses better
land must pay for it in labor, not merely
the difference between it and the poorest
in actual and appropriate use, but the
difference between it and the poorest
that can be found This is a
virtual separation of labor and land
1t is in very high degree literal separa-
ton. And it would make hard times il
every other social adjustment were per-
iect. With the most complete co.opera
ton OF labor, and an ideal money sys-
tenn, hard times would be as frequent
and AZ oppressive as ever If the insttu
ton that promotes this separation of
labor and land were suffered to remain.
And what is that institution? 1t is
the institution under which land owners
are permitted to appropriate in land
values the pecunlary benefits OF the ad-
vance OF civilization. For it is to land
and that alone that the pecuniary benefit
OF civilization attach in the form OF land
values, as may be observed in the devel.
opment OF any growing city or section of
the country. And the we'll sttested fact
that civilization lie advancing, along with
the other fact that land value is the pecu-
| mary measure OF this advance, stimulates
speculation IN land, which in turn makes
useful land scarce and increases the value
OF superior lands while forcing labor back
to less and less useful land for opportuni-
ties to LABOR without paving tribute.
| times, and the only radical cure, because
| il strikes at the tan root of this institu
tion Nv oxan,nt;ro 1oha. e., ~ :
,ion, ny oAonpPeins iaDoI iTotu tue
burdens OF taxation, and deriving public
reyenuea SOLELY from a tav unon land
iand respectively, regardless OF Its I'M