The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-14

ing the chair called attention to an inter-
view with DR.. Heron, published in the
CALL on the single tax and kindred sub
jects. Not wishing, he said, to harshly
criticize Dr. Herron's views, he thought
it important to show that DR.. Heron
should do some clear thinking before he
could become useful exponent or advo-
cate of the single tax. Mr.. Reynolds
quoted from the interview:
"'There should be no taxation of any
kind, because, take it any way you like,
taxation is burden on the producer.
"If it was meant by this that taxation
laid on wealth producers in any form, he
quite agreed with the doctor, but if it was
meant to include the taking of ground rent
alone for public revenue (the single tax in
the category of burdensome taxes, then
was he wholly wrong. That he did mean
that was evident by what he added as
follows:
''Besides there is 10 absolute necessity
for levying either direct or an indirect
tax. / will presently explain how to avoid
the evil, and his explanation was:
"'That the Government should earn its
own living through the operation of the
railways and other public properties now
privately owned. Likewise the city gov
ernments might earn their own living by
the operation of municipal properties
"How," said the chairman, "can the gov
ernments earn their own living except by
charging freights and fares and tolls of the
people who use them, just as private
and operating those public utilities must
be met in any case, and ii Government is
to make a living at the business a
charge sufficient to pay the cost of the pub
lie service must be added. Whether that
would amount to less or more than private
owners now take, any one can figure out
for himself, but that it would be tax on
industry as much as the taxes now laid
are, is too obvious even to need mention
yet DR.. Heron seems not to have noticed
it.
Ellis next proposition was: The land
ought to be held by the State in sacred
trust for the people, never to be surrend-
ered,' yet little further on he proposes
that it be sold in small and conditional
holdings or rented in terms of years or in
perpetuity.' How land can be held in
trust for the whole people and at the same
time be sold to some OF them is something
the doctor should explain. We have been
doing that right along and that is what is
the matter.
{" L believe says the doctor, in the sim
gle tax as the best system of taxation, but
l don't think it will accomplish ali the
social reforms which people commonly
think it will
''The misfortune of DIR. Heron" said
Mr.. Reynolds, sis not to realize what the
single tax is: The quotations show that he
has never been on speaking terms with
it. He thinks it is only better way of
taxing people, instead of being, as it is, a
method of abolishing all taxes and taking
for public revenue only what the public
alone, and not landowners, create, namely.
the rent.
HE makes another mistake, which is
common, that in some way the State act
ing for the people must control and regu-
late the ownership and possession of the
land, whereas, in fact, the only thing that
concerns us is the rent. Let whoever will
own if he wants to as much or little
land as he will, but let him pay the rent of
it, If 1t has rental value, into the public
revenue.
The question, "How to build up the
State, was discussed pro and con by the
audience, the prevailing sentiment being
that the way proposed by the Half-million
Club, scheme to get Eastern people out
here to buy up the land, was the way how