The morning times., 1895-12-15
SINGLE TAX DOLUMH.


this cOlumn.) S
The Cumberland cdFlty (Maryland)
Journal thinks 1t has found weak spot in
the logic Of the writeHof this single tax
column. 1t quotes from one of our articles
the folio wing: ara
'If. as a community. the people of the
United States pay $3.50 ,OOO, 900 a year for
the use OF land. they must pay $4S0,0O0,-
OO0 a year less for other articles. These
other articles, therefore, accumulate in the
hands of manufacturers until the market is
glutted; lie has TO shut down his factory
and dismiss his workmen. Thus business
stagnation, tdleness, and financial distress
supervene."
The Journal comments on this s follows:
1.-THE author OF the paragraph above
quoted entirely overlooks the fact that the
owner or seller of land, as well as the buyer
or renter, Is consumer or the products OF
labor. Hence II the latter has less money
to spend for manufactured goods or other
articles of merchandise, the former has
more. and no such financial distress results
as the highly imaginative writer In The
Times portrays-"
BANK EMBEZZLEMENTS.
This reminds us that the last number Of
the Boston Arena contains an article by
Hon. A. X. Barrett, formerly government
examiner of failed banks, ON IAN Era of
Fraud and EmbezzlemeDt," in which he
says:
Statistics show that during the past
ten years, bank wreckers, eH,bezziers, and
defauliers have robbed the people OF this
country or over one hundred millions OF
dollars, an average OF ten millions OF
dollars per annum. Any state of affairs
that Will allow the robbery of over one hun
dred millions OF dollars In ten years is
simply appalling, and calls for active meas
ures, first TO as certain the cause, and next
to provide the rreyention.''
1t strikes US that Mr.. Barrett is making
an unnecessary outcry over a very insis-
nificant matter. If, as contended by Prof.
Harris Few weeks ago, less to the public
OF two and one-fifth cents a day per in
dividual is not worth taking into account,
what is there appalling" in less Of less
than one-twenticth Of a cent per day?
Furthermore, as the Cumberland Journal
so ably argues with regard 10 lard spec
ulatIon), the frauds OF which Mr.. Barrett
complains to loudly are a matter of utter
unimportance to the community at large.
If the bank depcsitor is Gefrauded or his
money by the defaulting cashier, the latter
will eXpend ii, probably even more liberally
than the former would have done. Ee will
purchase costly clothing, and the money will
flow into the pockets OF tailors, cloth-nan-
uihttuitsr t't. hN WIN dsh
In supporting opera houses, SO architects,
stonemasons, bricklayers, carpenters, up
holsters. and makers OF opera glasses viii
be incidentally benefited. If, as the result
of a careless prejudice on the part of persons
who have not yet become experts in political
economy, he fiEds it cxpedient TO heiake
himself hastily TO CANADA or Cuba, part OF
the money viii pass into tie rockets of
conductors, brakemen, porters, and build
a nf pITlinlnn wnIIIn
say: 1.-THE writer in the Arena entirely
overlooks the fact that the default!ng cash
ier, as well as the GefraUded depositor, is
a consumer of products: hence II tie latter
has less money TO spend for manufactured
goods or articles Of merchandise, the form
er has mere, and no such financial distress
results as the highly Imaginative writer
in the Arena portrays."
WHO ARE THE LARGEST PATRONS?
Furthermore. the Journal argues upon
the assumption that the owners or sellers
OF land are, IN the aggregate, as large con-
sumers OF products as these who buy or
rent. But there are marry purchasers OF
land TO one seller; many who pay rent
to one who receives IT. One member
of the Astor family absorbs yearly the
annual income of over / 1 900 working
men. Does he consume as many goods
as they? Does he wear 1I,C0O hats,
curry ll,VOu steep OH .tOO
have his hair cut $4,000 times
a year, etc?
If the journal editors health were such
as to compel him to leave Cumberland
county and go West, To begin Journalism
anew, which would lie prefer: To start
a paper In a city of 10000 families, say
10000 inhabitants, each family having
500 year TO spare beyond the bare
OF life, or in the shadow OF
tho EplifarV mansion nf In ira
and depend upon him alone for suhscrip-
tions and advertising patronage? 1t viii
not he necessary for the journal editor TO
answer: we have not the least idea that
he is as big an idiot as his argument would
indicate.
WHO Is TO BLAME?
The parallel we have drawn, however,
between the bank embezZler and the land
speculator I'm certain respects is not to be
as carrying with II tue charge
that the two are on a moral level. A
worldwide difference between the two lies
In the fact that the land specula tors ex-
ploitation Is done with the consent OF his
victims. Those who are benefited by the
present system OF land tenure, receiving
tribute from their fellows for the right TO
permit them to occupy portion Of the
earth, are less than ons-tweniieth as many
as those who pIy tribute. This overwhclm-
ing ma ioritv can vote dawn he insignificant
whenever they choose. but they
never yet have chosen to do so. Their con-
tributions are voluntary. A man cannot
be considered thief or the per-
petrator of a fraud because he accepts
wholly voluntary donation from his fel-
ow-men. If the nineteen-twentieths OF the |
people who are now contributing $780,
200, 900 n year to enable lC-twcntieth to
i've in luxury without work, ever find the
ion sufficiently burdensome TO
be worth getting rid of, they can put an
everlasting end 10 this Eiga ntic scheme of
at single blow. They have
only 10 walk up to the POLLS and vote for
The single tax.
Rose Grn nd " IN the Occasion