The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-04
THE POSTS LETTER BOX.

main object Is to supply out-of-the-way
Facts srd curious Information. Questions
Of personal interest only will not be
answered No business or personal ad
dresses Will be given. Questions as to the
value, etc. OF old colns and stamps VIII
not be answered All correspondence
should be addressed to The Letter Box.
care Houston Post. and to receive ntten
ton must be signed by the name In full
OF the party making the inquiry, ms we'll
as that under which IT IS desired tnat the
number or questions received answers can
not dlways he given 1romptiyJ
student--o Please give mo some infor.
nation as to the doctrine of single tax.
a. An official statement of the single
tax principle has been made as follows;
We assert as our fundamental principle
the self-eNdent truth enunclnted In the
declaration OF American independence that
all men are created equal and are endowed
by the Creator with certain lnilenab'e
rights.
We hold that all men are equally entitled
to the use aud enjoyment Of what God has
created and Of what is gained by the gen
ora growth and improvement Of the com
munty Of which they are n part. There
fore, no one should be permitted to holl
natural opportunities without a fair return
TO al for any special privilege thus accord.
cd to him, and that that value which the
growth aud improvement OF the community
attaches to land should be taken for the
use Of the community: that each Is emil.
tied to oil that his labor produccs there
fore. no tax should be levied on the prod
ucts of labor
To carry ont these principles we are in
favor Of raising all public revenues for ma
tIonal State. county and municipal par.
poses by single tax upon land values.
irrespective OF improvements. and all the
obligations Of oil forms Of direct and indi.
rect taxation
Since In all our States we now levy som,
tax On the value Of land the single tax
can be instituted by the simple and easy
way OF abolshlng one after another. all
other tnxes Row levied aud commcnSurnte,y
increasing the tax on lind values until we
draw upon that ono source for MI expcu ics
Of government, the revenue being divided
between local governments. State govern
ment and the general government, as the
revenue from direct tax Is now divided
between the local and state governments,
or by direct assessment being made by
the general government upon the States
and paid by them from revenues collected
In this manner.
The single tax would:
/. Take the weight Of taxation off the
| Agricultural districts where land has little
or no ynluc Irrespective of improvements
ana put II on towns and cities where bare
land rises to a value of millions of dollars
per acre.
? Dispense with a multiplicity OF taxes
and horde of tax gathcrers. simplify
| government and greatly reduce its cost
3. DO away with the fraud, corruption
md gross inequality inseparabe from our
present methods Of taxation. which allow
| the rich 20 escape while they grind the
poor.
Give us with all the world ms per
feet freedom Of trade as now exists be
tween the States Of our union thus ena-
bling our people 10 share through free ex-
changes In all the advantages which nature
has given to other countries. or which the
| peculiar skill Of other peoples has enabled
them to attain. II would destroy the trusts,
monopolies and corruptons which are the
| outgrowths of the tariff
| g. 1t would, on the other hand, by taking
for public use that value which attaches
| to land by reason Vf the growth and i'm
| provement OF the community, make the ho.d-
| ing of land Improbable to the mere owner
! an" P'"nl'"'' "n'' 10 'nr uS''' II NOu'u
'uus hl"N' u lniN'Slne LOT "Pecu'o'orS
.''' 'N'''ii' W. "''i N''"'"' 'i'po' W.,
- guy ,''' ,, "9gu' ""u |1"''s
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:, r,,.id ,h,,s ,h. i,,... s,.,.,' ,a
a,,.,,. ,,In, t,,.,f,,,,t,r, ,,.',.,, t, -,
II, all ,..c,r,tt.,s 80 t,o ,nI ao.,,,r,,s ~
i,hor mako oror,,r,,l,c,,,,,, ,,,ros.,,I, mil
All hnman wants sre sot,sfcd rondor lsl,o,.
soyinr iny,mtions hlessin, 10 ali and
cause such an enormous nroauction ana
such an equitable distrihptlon Of wealth MS
would give to all comfort leisure and par
tlctpotIon In tbr nlvontogos of nm advanc.
Win resnsrt 70 no,onoI,es othsr than
monopoly OF land. we hoId that when FREQ
comnetltIou bocor,es tr,,oss1J. nc in teIe.
graphs. railroads water and gas supplies,
etc. such business becomes proper social
function which should be controlled and
managed ny aud for the whole people con
ccrned through their proper government,
local, State OF national, as may be.
49,
j, R-Q. Please give a sketch OF the
70 s.N h. H.. a