The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-23
The single Tax.


To the Editor Of the Journal and Courier:
Replying to Mr.. Rowe's inquiry II
your issue of the goth in which he asks
IF the single tax men succeeded II
placing all taxation on real estate, would
it not amount, virtually, to a contsca-
ton of real estate-at any rate, to lts
depreciation to disastrous degree?''
I want to say:
This question betrays as much knoWl-
edge of the principles of taxation as
we should betray of Mr.. Rowe's busl-
| ness should we ask him how much he
has invested in the propagation OF oys-
terclams or If we told photographer
he had spoiled our negative by develop
ing it in "hypopyro."
Mr. Rowe will please not consider this
an argument against his bill. 1t IS sim
ply intended to show, as indicated In
my first letter that he crossed the
Rubicon when he sought to discredlt the
leading authorities on taxation.
A single taxer is a man who Is con-
WINGED that tax on land values Is the
only natural and just method OF raising
revenues, and as single means one, the
word conveys the idea of but one tax,
In place Of the multiplicity of taxes now
in vogue; for lit contemplate the ex-
emptlon Of everything into which labor
enters, and its, operation would be the
antithesis Of confiscation
AS we have used Mr. Rowe's property
before as an illustration, 1t will be
proper in answering this question to APP
ply our proposition to It. just as ask
ed him to apply his to the instances
gave. Mr.. Rowe is assessed as follows:
Land. $9.S75; improvements. $l0,0S0:
PERSONAL $4,000.
TO ascertain How much he would pay
If all taxes were levied on land values,
1t will only be necessary to double the
tax rate, which will make it twenty
seven mills (s0.02D. Place this on the
value of his land and we have tax bill
of $25313, instead Of $2S9.64 In actual
practice 1t would be much less, but
this is sufficient to prove that Mr.. Rowe
would not suffer Besides this he
would be free of all the indirect taxes
that now bother him and the rest of
us.
present system. and is just robbery I'M
der the form of law The result is pre-
cisely the same as If Mr. Baldwin made
out an order for so many bushels of
oysters and gave it to Mr.. Anthony,
who sent a team down and compelled |
Mr.. Rowe tordeliver them. This would |
be seen to be pure confiscation of pri- |
vate property. and would at once be |
stopped.
The land occupied by Mr.. Rowe is |
made valuable by the presence of a |
lumber of other people, which value
would at once vanish on the removal
If said people. and as we believe that it
s not only good law but good morals,
Is We'll that the product should belong |
o the producers, we insist that the oys-
ers are Mr.. Rowe's, the corsets are Mr..
Adler's, and the groceries Mr.. Dewell's,
IS we'll as each and every improvement
ach OF these gentlemen have put upon
heir land; but that the land values be-
ong to the people who created them.
nd should be used to pay the expenses
f government
Thus, and thus only Will the ouestion |
e solved, and because we know that
he reassessments in the CITY are a
reat step in the right direction we I'M
OLD them In the face of all opposition;
nd when Mr.. Rowe comes out with a
i'll tending in the same direction he ,
I'LL find no more earnest and enthusi- |
site supporter than
w. Trlenan. ,