The San Francisco call., 1896-03-12
QUINCY ON SINGLE TAX.

BosToN's ARIsTocp MAYOR SURPRISES AND
DELIGHTS THE DISCIPLES OF HENRY GEORGE.
The single-tax advocates OF Massachuse'ss
consider that they have won vlctofy Wy cue
listing Mayor Josiah Quincy OF Boston IN inca,
oenalf Mr.. Quincy belongs to the piue- pioou.u
STOCK OF the old Bay State. At a recent sihe,o
tax banquet Mayor Quincy was one oi 'no
speakers and brought forth great appiause os
his sentiments. He declared that II "aS
great pleasure to meet with class OF people
who appreciated the definite and Vital lmpoi-
lance to community of its tax laws.
III strikes me as the most important .hins
ABOUT this single-tax movement, saiu W.,
quincy, that you recognize SO 1uliy "n1v tho tho
average citizen fails to recognize, not oniy tnv
I'M pOrtance and influence upon com III unt.y
OF the tax laws, but also that you see lne eaea,
penehts that can be wrought out py WISE alu
lnteillgent changes in the laws anectins .a1a a.,
ton, which will remove the burdens from IN
dustry, which will give a better field Tor busl-
ness and which will distribute taAhtlon
equltaoly and justly throughout inc coiiinu-
nifty .;nn,o
tax, since have seen the numDer OF actye
ana intelligent citizens whom IT mas enlistea'
ana seen the enthusiasm when IL mas aIo9sGu,
nave felt that the single-taX doctrlne anu tle
slngie-tax movement was something lna'
would have to be reckoned with
ut seems to me from the standpoint OF ,he
sngie @ tax tnat you are Tlgna IN or iee ths sim.
plification OF our present tax system In this
commonwealth and for placing the Whoie
burden oflocal taxes upon real estate.
u am strong believer in one OF Ine lueas
made very prominent in the slngle-tax move
ment, the beneftofa q simple system OF taxauon
as against the mass of complexlty whlch we
labor under to-day
'1 am also in hearty sympathy with the idea
EN- bodied In the principles OF the single TAX
that the attempt to levy taxes on personal
property ought to be abandoned. II expert
meuts have proven anything, they have
proven the utter futility and lmpossiDlhty Oh
collecting taxes upon personal property:
"A tax OF that nature must be unequal IN ltS
effect and penalty upon the man VINO is non
est enough to be willing to disclose all his
preference to those who believe that the State
has no business to levy taxes on their personal
property.
'1 feel very strongly in favor of the idea of
leaving broad field for business ana enter
prise, which understand is one OF the cardinal
more l reflect upon the subject the more am
impressed with the great and effective change
which it would make here in the city OF Bos-
ton, II we could lift the taxation on enter
prise and commerce and industry and leave as
broad field and as broad scope as possible
in this metropolis of New England for the de-
velopment OF every productive industry ana
trade and commerce.
I'VE have made some progress In this dlrec-
ton, and think the business men OF Boston
very generally are in sympathy Wlth>the idea
that the general welfare OF the city, its growth
and development, require that some OF the
heaVy burdens that now rest upon business
and industry and commerce should be re-
moved and that there should be bigger field
Tor the enterprise OF our citizens and The pro-
ductive use OF capital, and that means larger
held TOT the employment OF labor ana hlgher