Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-06

rum OF Nnls. country inc poor man
has more children and less property
than the Weather classes, and this
interest to the state on his land is
nearly all that he pays into the public
fund and ms he receives, on a gem
eral average, more In the way OF tut
lion than he pays In Interest. the land
is In fact absolutely free to hlm--free
even from the single tax ground rents
which the single tax viii put upon
him. If he can be ensnared into Its sup
port.
The single taxer forgets that there
are many millions OF people who do
not use land. who do not want to use
IL. and who would not occupy II IL
1t were a gracious gift There are
even millions of them who would not
keep house. 10 the house also should be
a present True, the building In which
they live must stand on land, but II
they have no use for the land as such,
and would not put any building on 1t
themselves, 1t would be useless TO Omer
them the land.
Let US take this town here for an
Illustration. A large number Of its
people are workingmen in the employ
OF the railroad company: some of them
owning homes and others of them rent
ers. Lots large enough for a residence,
within ensy reach Of the yards and
roundhouses, may be bought for $25
or less. or they may be leased for
term of years, with the privilege of
removing any houses placed by the
lessee thereon (Which Is about as full
a right IA the single tax Will give,
for q merely nominal rent OF n few
dollars, and in some Instances for abb
sOlutely nOthlng-the owner hoping
that the erection OF house may en-
able him to sell other adjacent lots
The trouble with the renters is not
with reference to the land but the
house. They do not save up money
enough to build II, or If so. they do not
wish to Invest 1t in a house, since
change of business location or em-
ployment might Mt any time call for
u removal, and their little all would
be tied up indefinitely. As to ground
rent, they can now get that cheaper
than 1t would be under the single tax.
Those OF them who have bought lots
and built, have done SO on the assur-
auee afforded by the present law OF
tile, that their property. after their
removal, Will remain exclusively their
own, subject to Jheir own control UNI
al they may be able, or may wish, TO
sell It. n. however the single tax
prcvniled, sub1ccting their lot 20 the
claims OF others the moment they
ceased to occupy a., they would GER
tainly prefer to rent with the others,
and there is no question whatever that
under the single tax there would be
fewer men owning their homes in
Baird than under the present system.
Nor Is the case substantially differ
cnt in any other town, whether it be
Fort Worth or New York or London
There Is no fixed tenure Of employ
ment for any class of worklnEmcn,
whether they be clerks or carpenters,
printers journeymen tallors or fac
tory hands. They would not, as a
rule, turn on their heel for the ground
rent feature, since they would contln-
nc 10 rent buildings or rooms II II pre-
vailed. True, there are vacant lots on
Main street in Fort Worth held at
thousands Of dollars land worth 10;
but how would taxing them into the
hands OF the state benefit the poor
and landless classes. who would be
wholly unable to properly build on or
use such lots If given to them? The
homeless and working classes would
still be concerned only with the mat
ter of small homes suited to their
means and situation, and there Is not
live real estate agent in Fort Worth
who would not today undertake. for
S35 from each head OF a family Of
these classes. to furnish them sulta-
Bile building sites for small residences,
within the corporate limits and within
"A half hours walk Of their places OF
work; or who would not agree to
furnish ground rent for such lots I'm
pcrpeJuity for one-half the average
amount which each head OF a family
spends for chewing tobacco. or one
tenth OF the average amount spent
for beer and whisky. The single tax
Instead Of banehung the masses would
only serve TO put upon them, in the
form Of heavier rents, the burdens now
borne by the vast amounts OF personal
property owned by the wealthy.
r. n WEpR