The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-06
TOM BAWDEN ANSWERS F. EN-
GLEHARD'S SINGLE TAX

are due to society, when in fact all
enhanced values of products of hui
man labor are due to society; second,
that to tax the products of human
labor is to impose fine on human
industry and ff1gality.
These are grave errors and fatal to
their expectations.
"Supposing | raise 5000 bushels Of
wheat on my farm here and am living
SO great a distance from society that
/ cannot transport it there to sell the
surplus; that surplus above my indi-
vidual wants would be worthless. The
value of any product Of human labor
in excess of the wants of the producer
is due to the force OF demand from
society and consequently due to So
ciety; therefore, according to their
theory, that part of value of the prod
uct due to the demands of society
should belong to society-a proposition
they deny.
'If by my industry and the applica-
tion of scientific methods ION piece
Of land) | increase the prOductiveness
greatly. the demand for this piece OF
land would increase correspOndingly
and might be increased to nearly the
entire productive value of it; then ii
would follow that | would have to Of
fer the state as much rent as others
would be willing to give or lose my
lease and be dispossessed. IF. Engle-
hard, Rising City, Neb., June Is, 1908.
Editor Independent: l want to cor
rect Mr.. E. in some of his misconcep
lions Of the single tax philosophy. In
his really able article of the above
date he has misled your readers and
hope he is open to conviction. Land
values are the only thing which in
creases in value-or price-because of
social demand.
The demand of society for sewing
machines has decreased their cost 300
per cent measured by their utility in
the last 40 years, because labor can
increase the supply beyond the mar
ket demand. And as Mr.. e. we'll knows,
factories which make sewing, wash
ing, binding, moving and reaping ma
chimes, shut down frequently to pre-
vent the market from being glutted.
But while machinery of every kind
is increased indefinitely in quantity
and variety, this very cheapening of
these things made of iron has enorm-
ously increased the value or price of
land where iron and coal are depos-
ited because these raw materials can
IOt be increased in quantity. In these
values alone are reflected the marvel
Gus mechanical and chemical progress
N mt rrrhsn hnr fc1y
place since the years of steam power.
The value of land-economically
speaking-like the value of ma
chine, is the price caused by demand.
Society itself makes the first dear
and the second cheap, and added to
the latter is the fact that it wears out
or rusts out in time, but the land
from which it came gets dearer every
Gay.
And let me remind Mr.. E. that this
single tax On these values has always
been in existence, but has been paid
to landlord. Royalties on coal, iron,
copper, lumber and oil lands for GEN.
turtles have been paid annually in mil
lions into the pockets of parasitic
idlers, and paid in the form Of the
products of industry just as the state
must get them to pay its public SER
wants: Of what use could taxes in any
other form be?
Cannot Mr.. e. see the important diff
ference in taxing this increasing fund
of land values instead of the decreas-
ing values OF labor products? Has
not this fund in the hands of landlords
provided the means to buy our pres
ent railroad, telegraph, telephone and
street car interests? And was it not
the ignorance of the existence and i'm
rortance of this fund.- by the masses
of intelligent mechanics and invent
ors that made this gigantic confisca-
tion possible, while our phenomenal
progress and advancement was being
made? FOR the government which has
tondoned and allowed the present I'M
just and un-American conditions to
exist has been faithful reflection of
the division of thought on economies
and justice of the masses who vote.
And it seems pity to me that such
vigorous and earnest writer as Mr.. e.
does not see these facts more clearly
before giving vent to his advice on
the Denver conference Of populists.
The 5000 bushels of wheat which he
raises on his farm at a distance from
market, enables him to buy a cheap