The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-24


but equalization OF natural opportunities
innate in land. and the only way the nat
ural can be insured To the community Is
by allowing the interests of these values
TO flow into the public treasury.
For example: prospector 10 In town
for a location 10 build jewelry factory,
and finds location unoccupied he de-
sires; when he goes TO the city hall TO IN
quire II any person or corporation Is pay
ing the rental value OF the location into
the treasury, and finds no one Is so do
ing. go he inquiries how much the rental
value is. Then the clerk informs him that
land I'm that locality is worth u per
square foot, the plat is GOO feet, there
tion will be lawful interest on the un-
earned increment, production OF the
people.
Prospeotor No. appears, who wishes
to purchas a house, and finds one meet
ing his fancy, Tor which the occupler
asks 5000. The stranger inquiries ii II
includes the land. TO whom the resident
saws: "Not ownership OF land; but my
abandonment OF 1t TO your occupancy,
which will be recorded In the books in
the city hall, guaranteeing you private
tenure indefinitely, providing you pay
the interest OF the bare land value INTO
the public treasury annually, which ana
all the people living here have been lac
tors in producing. j am selling you the
house and improvements, which Will not
be taxed. In fact, strangers, there are
no taxes here, which accounts for the
prosperity which prompts you 10 come
here to reside. Ii is safe town In which
TO live and build home, for the commu-
nifty can spend only its earnings, leaving
no opportunity TO tax you out OF eAls-
tence, orseven out of town"
The thousand industrious, intelligent
poor people create land values as quickly
as the same number OF intelligent, IN
dustrious rich people What they own
does not count, but how many wish 10
live i'm this section, does. IL 1000 Italians
should arrive from Italy today, entirely
impecunious, land values would feel their
ingress ar 5000 per head, in very few
years and this amount would not capl-
talize houses, but land. The knowledge
OF this fact that this million dollars falls
into the lap of the land spectators, (thls
economic wealth. has opened the eyes of
some people who are well satisfied with
the product of the Italians ingress; but
are desirous OF fairer deal in quotients
About 1875 the problem was solved, and
has CROPPED through darkness with but
little assistance until within five years,
when thinkers began to discern the dawn
of the brightest day in the history OF hu-
man government. Though the day has
not arrived, the twilight OF the coming
day has shed its faint lustre, as compared
with its constantly increasing intensity,
as IL approaches its meridional height,
convicting a million of voters in the lano,
OF its truth, and the practicability OF re-
lieving the manufactures, artisan, profes-
sor, producer and laborer OF any and all
taxes which have been a burden in the
most prosperous and productive times
solely to capitalize land.
Under the present form OF government
no citizen owns house or land absolutely;
but under the mutual compensation plan,
every citizen will absolutely own all thing
by labor produced, which they inherit,
purchase or make, and the land will be
where IL Is now, as far as ownership goes.
Will not have TO change the laws, but
will gradually abandon the taxing OF
products of labor, and as those are drop
ped put what the labor products would
raise upon the land values In interest,
and SO continue until all moneys for pub
lie use would be from interest on land
values pure and simple, when taxation
will have become merely past history.
One truly inviting condition which will
attend raising money from land values,
will be the reduction In the cost OF ad-
ministering government. Ii Is probable
that its administration will not cost
nearly all the rental value OF the land. No
body will be dispcesessed OF his hold
ings in land; but the value, irrespective
| of improvements, which the community
creates, will bear interest, the assessor
| will make plain the fact that the interest
| OF the value can no longer benefit you
alone, for you must share II with the
community who produced II, and, as you
have helped produce 1t, the government,
the people, will be compensated In re-
ceiving the interest, and you will be
doubly benefited; firstly, by getting an
opportunity TO transact business or build,
by locative choice, on unoccupied land and
again by having a share in the benefits
OF its expenditure.
The writer's next article will reduce
the city OF Pawtucket to single tax or
no tax municipality In 20 consecutive
years, where, though the earning value
Of the land will have been gradually in
creased from II. 80 1-3 on every S100, to
33 1-3, or $50 per cent, the selling val
ne of land will have been gradually de-
creased from 100 per cent TO 40 per cent,
at which time taxation on Improvement
and personal property, will have been en-
| tirely exempted.
| t. C. LEWIS.