The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07
Consul Connolly Says Its
Success Has Been
Proved.
First Law Passed During
Period of Deep Depres-
q sion in '9I.
N w Manufactures Are Running Full,
Paying Good W5g,s and Pros
perity Is G,reral.

JohniD. Connolly is Consul to New Zea-
land, the land that single-taxers point to
as their object lesson. He was appointed
By President Cleveland in his first term.
He was not displaced by Harrison and
was reappointed by Cleveland. He has,
therefore, been in position during all the
period that has seen the adoption OF that
system OF taxation which makes the near
est approach to that advocated by Henry
George.
MIR. Connolly has watched the move
ment with interest and in his report OF
April, 1894, he records his observations
and conclusions concerning it's operations
and effects. That report SO quickened the
interest in the subject that his time and
energy have been severely taxed in
responding to deluge of inquiries from
prospective immigrants, social reformers
and men of all conditions who were IN
terested.
Not only that, but the department at
Washin gton has been subjected to a SIM
liar STRAIN, insomuch that it was forced to
call upon Mr.. Connolly for supplemental
report, giving further information and
carrying his observations on the same
lines down 10 the present lime. This re-
port has just been received and published
by the Treasury Department. 1t contains
nj uch matter of much interest, especially
at this time when the Legislatures OF i've
States, including California, are con sider-
ing amendments to the constitution look
ing to the adoption of the single tax.
The policy in New Zealand was inaugu.
rated by John Balance, who became
Premier in 1891. He was man Of great
ability and tirmness and succeeded In
winning public confidence to such an ex-
tent that, as Mr.. Connolly says, any
m easure that he proposed was invariably
anopted. Prior to the passage OF the first
act introduced by Balance the country
had passed through series OF years OF
the severest industrial depression, sue
ceeding period of wild equation, due
to the extravagant and wasteful expendl-
ture of millions of money IN building rail-
roads and other improvements for which
there was no real demand and for which
the time had not come.
By the act Of 1891 all personal property
and some Improvements were exempted
from taxation. Two years later the act
was amended exempting all improve
ments. In this way change in the Incl
dents of taxation was effected from a land
personal property and improvement tax
TO land Improvement tax.
This change Mr.. Connolly says is now
generally admitted to be beneficial
step" "was made with satisfactory re-
suits" and altogether demonstrated the
wisdom of abolishing the Improvement
tax"
Referring to the manner in which this
legislation was at first received he says:
OF course, as might naturally have been ex-
pectcd, a cry OF alarm went up, and this class
OF legislation was condemned far and wide as
being revolutionary and un-English, and
those who favored such laws were denounced
may, the people adhered to their settled pol
lev, and the hand OF the clock has not been
turned back as yet-the course OF legislation
still goes on.
And further on he says:
Now, however. the people are rapidly begin
ming to realize the beneficial effects OF the new
era that had been inaugurated few years
back and are becoming reconciled to the In
novations they were wont to condemn hereto
fore.
And again:
d The wisdom of the alteration in the Incl
dence of taxation from land and personal
property to land and income tax has now been
Both the press and the people seem recon-
ciled to the present system, but 1t has taken
some time for the wealthy and Well-tO-do gen.
eraily to cease their opposition to the new
conditions.
Labor is relieved from taxation, except in
the matter OF customs duties, toward which all
have to contribute.
In New Zealand the land and income tax is
now popular; it is accepted In lieu OF the
property tax; 1t is success.
Speaking of the beneficial effects of this
legislation he says:
With the abolition of the property and i'm
provement tax for sstate purposes improve
n,ents have improvedv very largely all over the
colony.
That the legislative innovations of the I'M
mediate past nave shocked the sensi bilities of
a large number of wel-to-do cclonists is uu-
questionably true, but at the same time, as
against any inconvenience they may have ex-
perience on this account, there is the TACT OF
increased prosperity In nearly every branch OF
trade aud industrial life throughout the coun-
try, Iarm produces are fetching satisfactory
prices manufacturing industries are running
full time and paying good wages and fair in
terest on the capital invested, labor is remu-
neratively employed. interest on money has
fallen from and 7 per cent to and per
cent this of itself is sufficient to prove that
money is abundant. Millions OF English cap
ital are flowing in Tor the development OF the
gold fields of the colony and the credit OF the
country at no period OF its history stood SO
high on the English market as it does to-day.
/ may also mention that through the geuu-
inc encouragemen given by the Government
to the small-farmer class the waste lands of
the country are being rapidly taken up
wherever land is found suitab e for farming or
grazing PURPOSES.
John Balance did not live to see the
beneficial results of the legislation which
he inaugurated. but his memory is held
In grateful remembrance, and the work he
began has been carried forward by his fol-
lowers, though not with that force and
ability that he would have brought to its
execution. ~.
The recent legislation is more distinctly
single tax than that which has preceded
it. Consul Connolly in speaking of the
new local bodies rating act on unim-
proved values. passed July TO- 1896" the
last revenue act of the colony, says: ''This
act should gladden. the heart OF the
average 'single-taxer' for the reason that
it goes long way in that direction"
In his official report he pays the single
takers the compliment of attributing to
their persistent and well-directed efforts
the enactment OF this important measure,
saying:
There are a large mum ber of single-tax advo-
Gates in the colony VINO have been for con-
siderable time endeavoring to get some such
measure pas ed q sort of entering wedge or
prelude to a more comprehensive scheme of
single tax, and believe L am right in saying
it is to their persistent advocacy the passage of
this measure is mainly attributed.
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