The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28
LABOR AND THE LAND QUESTION.


} There Is a growing sentiment among
the working classes that the land ques-
ton is closely related to the labor
question. This sentiment finds ex-
preston in the platform of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor in the de-
, nland for 1.-THE abolition of the monop-
oily Of land holding. and substituting
therefor title of use and occupancy
only"
While it might be little difficult TO
determine what degree of use or occu-
pancy should constitute d title to land.
the declaration is a recognition of the
fact that the present system of land
holding is a monopoly.
Paragraph V of the platform of the
knights of Labor declares the land
to be the heritage of the people, that
it should not be subject to speculative
traffic: that occupancy and use should
be the only title to the possession of
land. and that to prevent its monopoly
/ it should be taxed to its full value for
use, exclusive Of improvements.
The demands of the Peoples party
made UP largely Of wage earners. that
alien ownership of land should be pro-
hibited. is an expression of the belief
that the holding of land for speculative
purposes works an injury to the pro-
ducers.
And it does. Land is the reservoir
from which is drawn all the raw ma
terials for the production of wealth.
From it comes the coal, iron and other
minerals, the timber and agricultural
products. which the transforming hand
of labor converts into food. shelter.
clothing and every other thing that
ministers to mans necessity. comfort
and luxury. Capital is accumulated
labor used in production, and adds
to the productive power of labor. Now.
it is easy TO understand that anything
which prevents the easy access of labor
or capital to land. checks production
and lessons the opportunities for the
employment of capital and labor.
Land speculation does this by raising
the price of all land for which there
is a demand for productive purposes to
a point where it cannot be probably
used. Therefore. production is checked
ployed.
We see how this operated in Salt
Lake city three or four years ago.
Thousands of dollars were invested
in land in this city-not for the purpose
OF using the land-but in the expecta-
ton of selling it again at an advance.
This process was continued until land
values increased fully thirty millions
Of dollars between the years 1889 and !
1892. They finally reached such point !
that investment for use was unprofta-
BILE. The wage Garner could not afford
to buy lot for a house: the capitalist
could not hope to realize q profit in |
buying land upon which to erect stores |
or residences. The building OF houses
was checked. and the demand for labor
was lessened. Consider the same pro-
cess going on elsewhere, to greater
or less degree. and with all land for
which there is a demand. and we can
understand what an important factor
this must be in bringing on those In
dustrial depressions that periodically
afflict the country.
That the increased prices in Salt
Lake were largely speculative is
proved by the fact that land values
since then have fallen to a price
where investment for use is likely to
prove profitable.
That land speculation bears heavily
upon both capital and labor is shown
bv the fact that in new countries where
land is comparatively plenty and cheap
interest, as well as wages. are high.
But as land values increase through
an increasing demand for land-as
higher price is asked for the posses
sion or use of land-wages fall and in
terest declines. 1t is because larger
share of the profits of capital and
labor goes to the owners of the oppor-
.unities for labor.
1t seems to US that the proposal OF
he knights of Labor would remedy
his by making land speculation un-
profitable. If idle land were taxed the
same as land in use Of the same value .
If the improvements on land were I'm i.
axed-would it not tend to discour- ,
lge the holding of land in idleness for
speculative purposes. and encourage
he putting of land to its best use? {.
What would be the best effect In ..
salt Lake city. for instance. if every :
ront foot on Main street from First :,
o Second South were made to pay the
anne amount of taxes. irrespective of
he value of the building upon it !.
Would it not encourage the erection
f more and better buildings-the en- 4
loyment Of more labor? What would i
e the effect if it were known that q
nils. factories. stores. shops and res +
lences were exempt from taxation in I
alt Lake. and only the value Of the !.
are land were taxed? We might not :,
ave mortgage and trust companies.
lvestment and land syndicates put !,
ng so much money into our real es- f,
ates. but we would have capitalists n