The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-20
Single Tax.
Editor Of tho DAILY REPUBLICAN,:

tiser:
The Single Takers held meeting Il
Milford last Saturday afternoon on th
front porch of the National Hotel. Will
lard S. Meredith and Frank L. Brand wer
the speakers. They failed to draw the at
tention of the people. only few gathered
III front of the speakers, and they did no
seem to be paying much attention, as they
had heard Single Tax speeches before ant
found them oil allle-sxpectel nothing
now.
Failing last Saturday to get an audienct
they try 1t again to-day. This time they
come with brass band, expecting tt
awake the drowsy feelings Of the people te
a stricter attention to their wild and vls-
ionary theories.
There is, however, one thing in the Sim
gle Takers to be commanded perseverano co.
This, they have In abundance. They are
met on every side with obstacles, incon-
gruity and impossibilitieS. But keep right
on and pay no heed to them. The little
notoriety they are getting out Of 1t Is all
they may reasonably expect to got, for
their persistent efforts in q hopeless cause
They aro wasting time, money and wind
in q scheme that can never under our
present Constitution be consunnatod.
They must first change the Constitution
| Of the state, before Single Tax law
would be operative.
With all impcdiments out Of the way
and a Single Fax law working in full
force aud effect would it improve the con-
dition Of the state financially, socially or
organically9 This is a question they have
failed to enlightcn the people on.
Single Tax means that al the taxes
shall bv levied on land only. All corpora
,ions, merchants, bankers, railroads, ho-
tells, liquor dealers AMI everything of the
kind shall pay no tax. The greatest source
would be cut Off; aud the land would be
burlened with all taxation to such nn OK.
tent as to destroy its commercial value.
With the commercial value Of land de-
stroycd no one could buy farm, build a
house, or purchase any property unless no
has the monoy to pay down the full
amount, fu- tho reason that his property
would be worthless as collateral security
Tho poor man who should want to pur.
chase farm and want to make improve
ments thereon, would find himself without
credit or means. Tho poor man who want
ed to build himself home for his family,
could not go to the building loan for the
money to make tho purchase. The doors
would be closed against him
Whore could he go? His farm or
his house would have no commercial
value, and he coull go no farther in
buying and making Improvements than
his moans would allow him.
At least one.half Of the houses in Milford
Building Loan. Had it not been for that
institution, they would not to-day be
owning the comfortable houses they now
live in. II tho Single Takers have their
way they will stop the building OF houses
except those who may be fortunate
enough to have the money to pay all on
them at the time they are erectoh. With
land values made worthless by heavy tax
alton, 1t will cease to be a collateral sccur-
ity and close up the avenues to great
amount of business.
But, say some Of their speakers: "the
tax on improved land will no; he any high
er with single tax than without ii" II
this be true, how are they to raise the ne.
cessary means for public improvements
and the support Of our free schools 1t is
well known that half of tho money used in
the support of our free schools are received
from a dividend derived from the sale OF
liquors, hotel licenses and Other things
they PROPOSE to exempt from taxation. 10
this question they say: eve propose to
make the unimprovsd and unoccupied
lands pay it, Tax this unimproved land
so high, that the owner will not keep 1t in
that condition, but will be forced to sell it
to some one else"
Who would want it under conditions |
that bad ,nade 1t SO burdensome that the
other fellow couldn't keepit
We have nothing to fear from sinole
tax. The state constitution, the intalli- |
gence of the people and the light of reason
are in its way"
One is led to conclude from reading the
above that Talloyrand spoke seriousl
when he said TINT language was invented |
to conceal thought. Such meaningless
production Ruskin was wont to chara cter.
izc as the subness of the sub and the obness
of he OBJ The Advertiser says that corpo-
rations merchants bankers, railroads,
&C., would pay no taxes under tho single
tax They pay none row.
Go examine the books Of Crosby and
Hill or tho PENNSYLVANIA r. r.. Co., and
you will find tho taxes on the same side or
the ledger rs their electric light bill or
any Of their other exponses and in de-
The price of what they sell ono
,s much a factor as the other. so the tax Is
shifted t., Ihe consumer. The News ana
Advertiser" must remember that land
bears to day as much revenue (not
lake a. il the single tax was In
force. tho difference being that individuals
pocket it instead of the community to
whom it belongs When it says that
money would not bo advanced to home
builders or farmers under tho Single Tax
It's statement Is ridiculous.
in London three-fourths of the CITY has
oeen built by men who did not own the
aud under tho buildings, but wlo pay an
,nnual ground rent to other individuals
who own the land in fee simple. This
rround rent Is what the community should
What difference docs 1t make
10 tho owner of the building whether the
-ity of London or the Duke Of Westmin-
ster gets the rent? To say that building
would be stopped is absurd. More build
ngs are going up in London than any
,ther city in tho world. The houses in
london II put up in row would encircls
he globe and there would DO enough left
q make another row from London to San
francisco.
Under tho Single Tax (Which Is simply
lie appropriation by the community OF
he annual ground renD land would have
title selling value the ground rent
would not diminish and as population in