Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-01-05
Rabbi Defends Single Tax.
CUMBERLAND, Mp, Dec. Is, 1894.

10 llle hlNlNN J'uhNAL.
In u letter to your esteemed JOURNAL
Mr.. Francis B. Livesey. of Sykesville,
| Md, enters the lists as champion Of
christianity against Henry George.
| Henry George and the cause for which
his name stands are to be congratu-
lated if his antagonists are really of
the same stripe as Mr.. Francis b.
| Livesev. Christianity, though. is to be
| pited if she has no better champions.
In speaking of 1.-THE humble home
that the aged couple are peacefully
enjoying as the resting, place in age
sought by long life of patience,
economy and industry" Mr.. Llvesey
makes the bold assertion that Henry
George would at one fell blow make
that aged couple paupers by aJ0lishing
their title to their land oA letting it out to
the highest Jidders." If Henry George
out the land to the highest bidders it
would not make paupers of the aged
couple. For their right to the i'm
provements (the house, etc.) would he
''sacredly guarded us would be the
right to their personal property. They
would. moreover. under such an ar
rangement become joint owners of all
| the land of the Union, being according
to latest census figures, about $500 per
capita, or 81 ,0G0 for the two. | wonder
whether the lot on which Mr.. Livesey's
aged couple have their humble home"
is worth more than $1,000?
But Henry George does not propose
to abolish titles, nor does he propose
to let it out to the highest bidders, Mr..
Livesey's quotation Notwithstanding.
1t is true Henry George does say:
We should satisfy the law of Justice; we
| SHOULD meet all economic requirements by at
one stroke abolishing all private titles, de-
claring ali land public property and letting it
| out to the highest bidders In lots to suit,
| under such conditions as would sacredly
guard the private right to improvements.
But this is not the end of the chapter
Henry George distinctly declares this
plan to be not good, and that he does
not propose it as a remedy for social
ills. He says in the same chapter
from which the above is quoted:
Let the individuals who hold it 1.-THE landl
| still retain if they want to- possession of
| what they are pleased to call their land. Let
them continue to call it their land. Let them
| buy and sell and bequeath and devise it, ETC. ,
etc, and little further on he says I'VE may
| put the proposition into practical form by
| proposing to abolish all tdrdtioN MDc nat
| upon land galues."
Let us apply this principle to Mr.
Livesey's aged couple. They pay now
taxes on the value of the land, the
house and other improvements that
are on the land, and on anything else
they may own They pay taxes in the
| increased pricpS on all Hprotpct -
goods and, by the way, a good deal
of these latter taxes do not even go
into the pockets of their government,
but into those Of tie protected inter-
ests. They pay taxes. which are add
ed to the price of goods by reason Of
merchants licenses they pay taxes
on every glass of beer they drink. on
every pipe of tobacco the old man
smokes. Let Mr.. Livesey or, for that
matter, anyone of your readers, figure
what the taxes of such an aged
couple are under the present system.
Then take away all taxes except
that on the value of bare land :; in
crease that, to be altogether just, to
the full yearly rental value of the
bare lot, but remember that this rental
value would be much less under the
single tax by reason of the elimination
of speculative values. | undertake
to say that the aged couple will fare
better under the single tax than under
the present system, or rather want of
system.
Mr.. Livesey's letter, purposely, or
otherwise, creates the impression that
! Henry George urged his doctrines on