The herald., 1895-03-24
single TAX SUGGESTIONS
A Symposium of Reformers at
Last Nights Meeting
SOME CRITICS CRITICIZED
Samuel Levi on the 0ne-ldeaism OF
the Theory
A ForcibIe Presentation of the Various
Phases of the Ideas of
SOME CRITICS CRITICIZED
A Forcibie Presentation of the Various
Phases of the Ideas of
Henry George

The single tax meeting at Blanchard
Fitzeerald Hall last night was, as usual
attended by Il large audience composed
of people of more than average lntelll-
gcnce.
Chairman Hoyt, at the opening. referred
to the progress OF the movement in the
East especially in Chicago, where recent
ly three or four auxiliary clubs had been
organized in as many different parts OF
the city.
4 symposium OF single tax speeches and
papers was then announced as the order
of the evening. George J. Nadeau' Jr;,
presented. through the chairman, the fol-
lowing remarks entitled critics Crltlclseu'
lie said substantially;
II wish to speak in regard to some OF
the glaring inconsistencies OF a certain
class of badly perpleXed reformers in their
criticisms OF the single tax, the progress
of which they try to check by calling 1t
hard names, and making wry faces at it.
The best way to show the utter lnablhty
of anv one to Judge of a popular move
ment is to show now completely confused
and bewildered he becomes on some OF
the simplest facts. Here is sample ot the
questions that puzzle them;
What will men do under the single tax
when the introduction OF machinery rem
ders unnecessary a portion OF the Iaborers
in certain occupations? 10 use one OF
their own illustrations, suppose that un-
der singe tax regime 100 shoemakers are
supplVing the wants OF a community with
shoes: one of the shoemakers invents
machine the right of which, by the way,
seems to scare the breath out OF the aver
age Socialist. by the use of which and the
labor of only twenty men, the wants OF
the community may be supplied at a re-
duced cost of SO per cent. What would be
the result? The first effect of such an in
venton in community where no man is
denied access to the source from which
all wealth comes, would be to throw
great many more shoes on the market,
and thereby lower the price of shoes. This
would enable consumers (who must surely
outnum Der the producers OF shoes) to re-
tain part of the wealth thus created, or
the difference between the reduced prices
and the former prices OF shoes. With that
difference saved to them they could pur
chase other things, which they would
need AS for example, more shelter.
more or better clothing, more or better
food, or whatever they might desire.
This would of course, create an increased
demand for labor in the production OF
those Other things which the community
would be able to buy on account OF the
saving OF part of the wealth which was
formerly necessary for the purchasing OF
shoes. There is no end to human wants.
As Henry George has said: Man is the
unsatisted animal.
Just how people, who are dead and
gone. could have pocketed any portion of
the present land values is not quite clear
to a thinking mind. | want no better
evidence that man does not think than
to know that he talks or writes such ar
rant nonsense. Value attaches to land
not bv virtue of anything done in the past
but because it enables the present owner
to derive profit by excluding others from
that land. The value of any lot in Los
Angeles depends upon what the present
owner can get out of labor for the privi-
lege of producing wealth on that lot now,
and i'll the future. Some muddled per-
sons seem to think that land. like wine,
increases in value with age.
These are but a few samples of the reck-
less and absurd statements that | have
seen, not only in the daily papers, but
in other publications, One writer says:
IF rent were eliminated, all the benefits
would go to the owners of capital or to in
terest' No wonder he wants the Govern
ment to own all capital. Now, suppose
there are three men on an island. One
saws he owns the island, the other one
has a bow and arrows which he produced
from timber that grew on the island and
for which he paid the owner of the island
by making for him another bow. Let us
suppose that the owner of the island dies
and leaves his land to both of the Others
to be equal owners. Does anyone think
land nor capital would receive no benefit
thereby? This man might happen to be
Socialist and have his breath taken
away by sight of the other mans capi
tai, and see no way out OF the dilemma eX-
cept for the Government 10 take the capi-
.aI and control each mans industry, SO
that the capitalist could not kill so many
birds and make birds so cheap that the
other man could not compete with him.
But if he were a single taXer he would en-
deavor to make some arrangement with
the owner of the capital for its use until
he could produce his own capital, which
OF course, would not be a difficult task.
OR what is more probable he would pick
wild berries, or nuts or some other nat
ural products, and exchange them for
the game which the owner of the bow
and arrows ght not BE- able to get with
equal ease, or as easily as he could kill
birds. Thus by the use of that capital
though owned only by one of the men,
both would be benefited. They would
thus be really cooperating with each
other in the task of satisfying their de-
sires, without the aid or Intervention of
any civil government.
Samuel Levi spoke on the alleged Zone
ideaism' OF Single Takers. He spoke
substantially as follows:
The Justice of the single tax. as an alb
stract proposition, is now conceded by
nearly all thinkers who pay any attention
p =
OF man. | propose to devote the short
time at my disposal tonight to answering
the charge that is now often heard, name
ly: That single takers are one-ideaed
that they are prone to survey every
field of thought through single tax
glasses The single taXer recognizes the
fact that the social system is afflicted
with other Ills than land monopolY But
he is also conscious OF the fact that to re-
move any OF the other evils from which
society suffers without first freeing nat
ural resources only tends to rear one
giant monopoly worst and most re-
lentless OF the whole brood of special priyi-
leges, with the added strength and power
that comes from concentration The
changes most persistenty advocated at
the present time by large numbers OF poo-
pie are GD Prohibition of the liquor
traffic. (2) Increased issue of money bv
the government. CD Common ownership
of the means of production ana distrihu-
tion, a. The abolition of all special priv
ileEcs. giving the producer the full pro-
duct OF his labor and the com munity
those values created solely by and due to
the presence Of the community.
ih last proposition embodies the cher
isbcd reform OF the single taXer. Every
other reform, If it be really worthy the
name reform, can only result in enhanc.
ing the value of land.
For instance: Let us imagine a COM
munity that has completely eXterminated
intemperance and caused general sobriety