The independent., 1903-04-23
Money and the Taxing Power
BY W. FL. ASHBY.
Rioh sReerxed
BY w. FL. ASHBY.

the quantity OF the like force per
pound for the fax, as ascertained by
valuation" are both expressed by
the term or symbol adopted, aided
by the numerals, that. term performs
the Office OF a common denominator,
and the numerals perform the office
OF the numerator and inform us how
many times the fixed quantity of the
force of demand, symbolized by that
term, is acting upon the flax and upon
the corn.
Crude, indeed, and superficial al
most beyond belief, must have been
the knowledge out of which Jevons
wrote his work. And yet it is such
absurdities as that which are being
instilled into the minds of this peo-
pie, in the great name of Science, in
all the schools and colleges of this
country and of the civilized world.
These ancient hearsays, handed down
to us from ignorant and superstitious
ancestors, now enslave the minds of
every civilized people.
They think they believe that a
lump of metal or other substance may
be applied to a quantity of value
(Which is merely mental valuation
OF the quantity or degree of intensity
OF the force of demand) and by some
miraculous magic of comparison be-
tween things not capable of any COM
parison, measure the quantity or
degree of intensity of that force. Such
state of mental stupor is not en-
couraging to those who desire human
progress. AS well might we seek to
weigh" value in pair of balances,
or to measure it with a tape or
yardstick, or by the gallon or bushel!
1t is marvellous. to observe how
long-lived an absurdity, backed by
great authority, may be. This stupid
notion, universally taught and ac-
cepted by political economists, has
rendered worthless the entire liter
ature of that department of human
knowledge, and it's meek acceptance
has destroyed the usefulness of many
men, who. but for it's warping icflu-
ence, would have proven benefactors
to the race. John Stuart Mill almost
stumbled upon the truth concerning
this matter. but seems to have bowed
to authority" and meekly accepted
the received absurdity. Prof. Thorold
Rogers, too, was near discovering the
truth. How near Mill was to it will
appear from the following sentiment
uttered by him:
This advantage of having a COM
mon language in which values may
be expressed is even by itself so j. l.
portant, that some such mode of ex-
pressing and computing them would
probably be used, even if pound or
a shilling did not express any real
thing, but a. mere unit of calcula-
tion."
How bound in the shackles of an
ignorant past must he have been, not
to perceive, when that near to it
that a pound" and a shilling"
when thus used, are in fact not a
piece of metal nor ''any real thing"
but are each "a mere unit of calcula-
tion!" .
And Professor Rogers says: Gwen
if money (meaning coin) were not
physical object, it would still be nee
essary as a symbol or as a calculus"
1t Is manifest that Professor Rog-
ers was almost in sight of the truth.
But like all the rest he sank under
the weight of authority, and consented
to the measurement of an abstract
force with fragment of physical
object! At the same time he per-
ceived that behind the metal, blindly
believed by the authorities" to be
endowed with miraculous powers,
there is necessity for "a symbol or
calculus" And Mill could not sup
press his instructive perception,
clouded and obscured as it was by
his submission to authority. that if
pound and shilling" did not ex-
press any real thing, they would still
be necessary as unit of calcula-
ton"
Continued Next Week.)