The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-31
LECTURE ON SINGLE TAX,
Congressman Mcguire Explains
Its Workings at Turn
Verein Hall.
He Describes the System and in an
Argument Says 1t Is Expe.
dent and Just.

At Turn Verein Hall last evening Con-
gresham James G. Mcguire lectured on
1.-THE Single Tax"
Mr.. Mcguire opened his discourse by
giving definition of the meaning of the
term single tax, and confined his argu-
ment to the two primary elements of the
great question-"Is it expedient2" and is
it just?" For, as he said, he could not
attempt to go over the whole scope of so
broad a subject and describe all the far
reaching effects of the system in one lee
ture. Mr.. Mcguire said in part:
have been asked to explain the meaning of
the proposed single tax 1t means, first, the
best means OF raising revenue for the support
OF the Government, and, second, the best use
to which the land of the country may be put
SO that the people. OF that country may enjoy
the best possible circums tances and not be sui
Jeet to the domination of any particular class.
The proposition, though far reaching in its
effect, is very, simple, 1t means the raising of
revenue Tor National, State, county and NUM-
cipal expenses by single tax and the abolish
ing OF all other forms of taxation, that tax to
be levied upon what we of the single-tax
theory term the unearned increment of land.
The first question is, Is it expedient? If not
1t ought not to be adopted. The existing con-
dition OF the people of this country is appall-
ing, and 1t is not due TO improyidence or lack
OF Industry on their part, but rather to our
system. We of the single-tax faith believe we
nave remedy. The land OF country is the
free gift OF creation, the natural common her.
itage of the people.
Our theory properly worked out means to
attach the people nearly as may be to the
soil. We do not recognize the same right of
property requirement of land that we do of
property produced voluntarily by man. Man
may acquire as much of the property he pro-
duces himself as he likes, but he does not pro-
duce land and therefore is not entitled to ae-
quire large holdings or holdings to the extent
of other kinds of property he may acquire.
To get the best possible results society must
regulate the use of land.
The value of improvements on land goes to
the owner, whether he resides in the com
munity in which his holdings are located or
whether ne resides abroad. His holdings be-
come valuable as the community grows and
prospers, and hence it is the community, the
people in it, who give that land it's value
This, then, is what we term the unearned in
crement of land. The fact that land value will
increase as community grows makes 1t adj
yantageous for men to acquire large tracts or
holdings and hold them for the rise in value.
There is no other reason for monopolizing lan nd
holding, so that community receives no bene-
tit from it.
The single-tax men propose to take that un-
earned value for public use, for have not
the public created it, and does it not belong to
the public? We propose to rob it of its specu-
latlve value by levying tax upon that I'M
earned value tor governmental expenses. We