Smyrna times., 1896-06-24
LAND VALUES AND
SINGLE TAX.
EDITOR OF TIMES:

EDITOR OF TIMES:
Dear Sir: 'Son of Delaware" is
wrong in saying that the backbone argu-
ment of Single Takers against taxing
personals thatpersOnal taxes are always
lodged. Our chief argument is that
taxation of personal property is rob-
berry. The maker has a right to the
thing that he makes and no govern
ment has any right to take from him
any part of that thing or any part of
the value of that thing. Taxation of
personal property is fruitful of lying,
deceit and perjury. Men did not make
the land, it is the gift of God to all
men so we have an equal right to it.
Since we all have an equal right to
land we all have an equal right to the
value of land therefore the value of
land-grOund rent-belongs to all. This
is the natural revenue for the support
of government.
There is no tax that cannot be
lodged to some extent at least, but it
would be much more difficult to dodge
the single tax than the system of taxa
ton we now have. If single tax was
in operation all revenue would be de-
rived from one source-the value of
land-and as the politicians can be re-
lied upon to raise funds enough to
carry on government, they would be
obliged to make heavier drafts upon
that source than they do now, as they
now have many sources from which to
raise revenue. 1t is that land value
largely escapes taxation now, but it
could not thus escape if personal
property taxes and poll taxes were
abolished. The assessors books
would contain more truthful statements
under Single Tax, as they would say
nothing about improvements or per-
sOnal property so that they could not
lie about those things, land value
would necessarily be assessed higher
and therefore nearer the truth. The
bulk OF government revenue is now
raised from taxation on improvements
and personal property; taxes upon
land value are lodged more largely than
taxes on anything else.
The people who own most of the
personal property also own most of the
land value. The family that 'Son of
Delaware" speaks of as having got so
rich in houses and lands on the banks
of the Brandywine, does not now sup
port or in any way encourage the sin
gle tax movement, although he says
that such family would benefit very
much if single tax were put in opera
ton. Why is this? It is simply that
the family in question would not bene-
hit. "SOn of Delaware" has vet to
learn the simplest truths in political
economy. This family operates mills
and factories upon which the bulk of
the taxes it now pays are levied. Such
taxes are always added to the selling
price of the goods produced in the
factories as they are an item of expense
In production, so that the buyer who is
also the consumer of the goods pays all
taxes levied on the factories. Is it not
plain that such taxes are not paid by
the wealthy factory owners but by the
consumers of the goods who are for
most part the poor? Taxes upon
manufactured articles make such art
icles dearer so that the consumer paws
the tax, but taxes upon land value
makes land cheaper, for it drives into
market land held idle for speculation
and more land being thrown on the
market the tendency will be for the
price Of land to decline, so that a tax
on land value makes land cheaper
while tax on goods makes goods
dear. This rich family knows better
than 'SOn of Delaware" that under
the present system of taxation it can
shift it's taxes on other people in the
shape of dearer goods and that it could
shift its taxes on other people under
single tax for land would become
cheaper and therefore rent for less.
The Single Tax would not help
money lenders or stock gamblers.
Taxes upon money either raises the
rate of interest or drives money away,
they are never paid by the money
owner. Stocks based largely on land
value as railroad and mining stocks
would shrink in value under Single
Tax.
Single Takers do not propose to con-
tiscate anything. What we propose
to do is to stop the confisca-
ton going on now. The value of
land Of right belongs to the whole peo.
pie but the people are not getting it, it
goes into the pockets of a few. We
propose to restore it to the whole peo-
pie. That is not confscation it is re-
stOratcn.
The Single Tax would cause to be
thrown open for settlement hundreds
OF millions of acres now held by foreign
and American syndicates for specula-
ton, it would be like the discovery of q
new continent and millions who are
now living in vice and crime and
poverty would find happy homes.
My friend statistics about railroad
property in Chicago are worthless, I
lived in Chicago for several years and
my personal investigations satisfy me
that seven hundred millions would be
nearer the value of railroad land than
seven millions. Chicago is probably
the greatest railroad centre in the
world. The value of the street rail-
way franchises (Which is land value)
is at least thirty millions.
LEANoRD TUFTLE.
Smyrna June I2th 1896.