Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-07-12
COMMUNICATED
SINGLE TAX.

SlNGLE IAA.
For sometime past AlexaDdriane
have been carrying on rather an ma
led discussion as TO how best to build
up the city. And as no Que has as yet
suggested means which meets with
the approval Of any considerable nun.
Der OF people. desire to offer to the
people of Alexandria through your
paper brief outline OF what is COM
monty called the single tex, or to speak
more accurately the siLgle taxation Of
land values and which firmly believe
to be the only means Of building up
his or any other community.
What we who call ourselves single
tsxers pronose is 10 abolish all taxes OF
whatever form that Il upon Industry
Al d 10 collect all government COcsl,
state end feJeiaO r,vsnnes from o
single tsx upon tbs value OF land ifre
i epec,ive Cf the value o. the improve
ments 10 ur on 10. We would therefore
ABOLISH all tariff taxes, eli liceuses, oil
tsxps upon personal property and the
taxes that fall upon the improvements
of laud and leave only the tax which
cow falls upon the value OF the bare
land. This tax we would increase IN.
ill it provided sufficient revenue with
which to pay all governmental ex-
pense5.
Now let us see what effect this would
have on the prosperity OF community.
Ole OF the first things q city needs If II
sVer expects to be Of any importance
is manufactures. And as anything tha
increases the cost OF manufacturing de-
creases the number Of msnufactories
therefore If IL can he proven that out
present syst,m oftsxatioD does increase
.be cost of manufacturing IT Is conciu
sive argument against il. And our pres
ant system OF taxation does that very
thing. Oar tariff imposes duty upon
and this means that the cost of maDu-
featuring articles out OF wood. iron, tin
Or wool is greater than it would be il
these duties were abolished. A tariff
tax OF 60 cts. per ton on coal means
that ia every form Of industry In which
coal IL used more capital is required. 1t
means that transportation ID more ex'
pensive and this Is a great detrlment TO
sny industry. Likewise, license or q
local tex upon buildings increases the
cost of the manufacturing business.
These taxes that increase the cost OF
manufacturing and there IRE increases
the amount of capital required to 90
into that business would / } abolished II
the single tax were adopted.
The second sign OF progress IN town
s building going on on large scale. The
single tax would promote building 10
TWO wsys: Let. BY not taxing build
ings, ana 2Id. by taxing unused land the
same rs used land of like value. Un'
der our present system OF taxation we
see side by side two lots Of equal value.
The holder of one puts a house
upon it and we increase his
axes for SO doing. We make him
pay more taxes because he hel in-
cree red the wealth OF the com
muntty and gives employment t. a
large iorce OF men. The other man
who did nothing whatever to increase
the wealth and prosperity OF the city
pays no more taxes than before. We
foe the one because he increases the
wealth and prosperity OF the commu.
nity; the other who holds the land
idle neither using it himself nor allow
ing anyone else to use it we reward.
Is this fair? Is il just? Is it 10 accord
with democratic Institutions? Uoder
the single tax both of these men would
be taxed alike and If they put up build
lnss costing thousands of dollars and
employ hundreds of men their taxes
will not be increased. 1t Is easy to,see
that to tax man just as much for
holding piece of ground idle as for
using it would compel him to use 1t
himself or get out of the way so that
some one else could. TOis would
greatly increase building and coDse-
quently the manufacture OF building
material.
To increase the manufacturing and
building Industries of comnuDi
would give employment to thousand:
of men, stimulate trade In sll Its
branches and 10 fact increase and pro-
mote the general prosperity OF the
community.
And II Alexandria would become one
OF the foremost cities OF the State ano
eventually the south, she should adop'
the single tax rs soon as 1t Is possible
to do so. ID. L. Z.