The morning times., 1896-11-01
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The Times undertakes no response
biiity for any Views expressed in
this column.
REFoRMERs, Rs,"GRADuATE" AS SINGLE.
TAKERS.


TAKERS.
sihsie-taXers consist largely of those
"no' h'Vihs formerly been active in Other
.i,noi 'eiolihs ana Seeing their meager re.
suits or entire rultility, abandoned them for
'n"' oroader, grander, nobler REFORM the
Hins'e TAX. Hence, nearly all single takers
are thoroughly schooled in the claims for
anu WORKINGS OF these other So called re-
ioriis ana nave eventually graduated" In
s'e'"i reforms by studying, accepting and
proinulgating the single tax.
rieriy many of uese single takers
Icing very pfiiianthropic, believed that suf-
i'cient CHARITY would solve the problem,
""u therefore gave iiberally to support mis-
s'onS ana similar institutions, where the
poor "hd needy We're supposed to receive
iiiueh material financial aid. But, while
'''e> saw the officers Of these Institutions
prosper greatly, few OF tie unfortunates
whom the Institution was originally de-
"Sheo 10 Dcheilt ever got entirely beyond
'he heed OF Its aid until they left for the
next World, for which these missions after
nii seemed mainl yintended to prepare them.
Anu instead OF decreasing the number Of
pahpers thev actually seemed to mutiply
III proportion as these CHART able iDStiu itioIss
'Lcreased. In looking for the cause Of this
Increased pauperism, they discovered that
aims giving does not reach the root of the
uisease, but is simply patchwork, like put
'ihs plasters On the surface of the human
body Tor nnsightly eruptions caused by deep
seated complications within, against which
THESE surface p!astcrs are powerless.
iheS discovered that persons supported
pafuS by charity could afford To work
cheaper Than those who entirely supported
themselves. The man, whose boarding,
lodging and clothing is furnished partly or
wholly by Charitable Institutions, can af-
Iord 10 work for less wages than he WHO
furnishes himself with all these things, on
tue same principle that men hire for less
wages where their employer furnishes
theih boarding and lodging than where
they must get these things themselves.
Hence these pensioners or paupers can and
90 uhderbid independent. self-Suppurting
iieh III the labor market, taking away their
WORK. Thus thrown out of employment
these self-supporting men look in vain for
employment everywhere coming in compe-
u'ioh with these penSiuncd paupers, whose
reduced standard OF wages they must ac-
cept or go jobless.
I'm In ~ Al.
With their small store Of savings finally
exhausted, they are eventually driven TO
accept this very charity themselves along
WIN the pauper wages against which they
nave so long struggled in vain. This is the
general situation in the old, denscly popu.
lated nations of Europe, and in that direc-
tlon America is drifting at an aiarmrngly
rapid rate.
so, Tor every pauper il uplifts, charity
suppiahts in his stead another pauper, thus
cohtahhnatlns two instead Of one. In
stead or uplifting, it simply inverts the
strata of struggling humanity. 1t is no
radical cure for poverty in general, but
simply quack remedy that leaves us
worse than it found us.
Nevertheless, hinglc-tlXers, remembering
that many Of their number formerly advo.
Gated IL, recognize chat these advocates of
charity have the noblest intentions, mis-
taking only the method which Will pro-
ducc the desired results Their ultimate
obIect-the leSsening of dire want and
grinding puverty-is precisely the same
AS that for which single-taxe are -
earnestly striving. Their ultimate object
being the same for which single-tax xcrs
strive, pbilanthropists should investigate
the single tax in order that their efforts
may produce greater and more permanent
benefits.
instead Of methods which, like the work
or missions and other charitable instiiu-
Tons. lowers the laborer's wages and can
benefit paupers only at the expense of
other poor iahoFers, single-taxers seek to
place the burden of uplifting paupers on
the wealthy monopolists. Their method
Will increase rather than decrease wages.
BY taxing vacant land heavier, So specu-
Iators could no longer afford to hold 1t idle,
they would force more of it into use,
which would necessarily employ more labor.
This increased demand for labor Would
increase the price Of it-wages-th same az
increased demand for any other thing raises
its price. With rising wages pauperisn.
would naturally decrease. With better
wages many who are now driven to let
their relatives become pauperS would SUI
port them themselves.
Taxing vacant lots heavier in lieu Of eX-
enpting buildings from taxation would
encourage building. The increased number
OF buildings would lower rent, the saving
on which item would raise men higher
above the verge of pauperisn, and enable
them to help TO keep their friends above it.
EMPLOYMENT AUGMENTS SAVINGS.
The savings from both increased wages
and lowered rents, thus made at both ends.
would enable many to lay bya competency
for old age, til ereby preventing many more
who otherwise world from becoming pau
pers. BY increased taxes thereon, driving
vacant land into use. and employing more
men, the increased employment at higher
wages would also he steadicr, beGa use more
and better use of land means more and BET.
ter employment.
Steadier employment Would augment tn.
savings, which are dissipated every time
enforced idlencss comes, because of in
dustres suspending on account of business
tagnation. These increased savings would
insure thei rpossessors against paupcrisnl,
enable them to aid and protect friends and
relatives therefron, and furnish larger
reservoirs from which the falling stream
of business enterprise would be fed wheney er
business depression threatened. This would
mitigate both the severity and durat ion of
business depressons. This in turn would
largely reduce the number of paupers.
which every panic nUmerously creates. in
almost exact ratio TO its length and Sc.
verify.
Though the single tax would not entirely
eradicate poverty, it would greatly lessen
it. Though the indolent would still remain
poor, a greater reward for their toll ourhc
to induce more to labor, and involuntary
poverty, due to the inability of Industrious
men TO get employment, wcuid almost en-
tirely be obiterated. Socially, as well as
physically, ian ounce Of prevention S
&,