The independent., 1903-06-18

company has lately appeared on tht
| cover of well-known weekly. Its
most prominent feature is picture Of
Russell Sage-an ideal head of sue
cess, as it were-with his prophecy OF
| the rapid growth of New York city
and the advice to young men to in
vest in land in the outlying boroughs.
His words, "Your real estate will
make your old age comfortable" may
be translated, "The presence of an in
creasing population will enhance the
value of your land to such a degree
that in time you can reap fortune
without having earned it."
This is what land monopoly means
the taking by individuals, through
land ownership, of wealth created by
others. And how simple the remedy:
to tax this unearned value into the
common treasury.
'Tt is a shame" said the Philos-
opher to the Legislator, "that all this
land should be lying unused, while not
far away there are thousands of fam
lilies crowded together in way that
forbids healthful living"
IT will pass law compelling the
owners of vacant land to improve it"
said the Legislator.
Time passed. The land was still
vacant, but there was board fence
around it, plastered with bills.
THAT is not the improvement |
meant" said the Legislator, sadly. 81
will pass a law that tenements shall
be- supplied with the most improved
plumbing"
1t was done; but the landlords raised
the rent and their tenants were OBJ
liged to take boarders in order 70
pay it: so they were no better off
than before.
The Legislator was in despair.
''This reminds me of the Fable in
which the wind and the sun try to
make a man take off his coat" said
the Philosopher. "You have tried and
failed. now | will put into practice
the simple law that land values belong
to all, and are the natural revenue for
the expenses of the community"
So he removed all taxes from i'm
provements and taxed all land accord
ing to it's value, whether it was in
use or not AS a result, much land
was put upon the market that hal
been held at exorbitant prices be-
fore. Everywhere new houses were
built and no one feared to build hand
somely, for industry would not be
fined. Those who did not want to
move to the suburbs with their neigh
bors had plenty of room in the city.
hot hr
demand for poor tenements at hign
rents was gone and they were obliged
to make many more improvements and
reduce the rent. In consequence, they
did not make so much money; but the
sum total of happiness was even
greater than the Philosopher had
hoped. ALICE CARPENTER.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
The earth belongs in usufruct to the
living; the dead have no right Or
power over it.-Thomas jefferson.
THE SINGLE TAX A BLESSING.
BY the single tax, we mean the
abolition of taxes upon everything,
save and except tax upon the value
of land, irrespective of the improve
ments thereon. This would abolish
the personal tax, the occupation tax,
the tax upon houses or any product
of labor, hence, there would be no
more tariff taxes to increase the cost
of products which we all consume
Not having any more tariff taxes, food
and other products of labor would be
cheaper to the extent of the tariff tax,
which Is always added to the cost of
the article imported and paid by the
consumer. Even the home manufac-
turer always sets the price of his
product as high as the imported ar
ticle sells for. This causes us to pay
the tariff, whether we buy imported
products or not. The application of
the single tax would make land
cheaper, enabling poor people to buy
a building lot with less money, there.
fore, getting home without having
to work life time for it. The reason
for this is, that if the value of land
alone is taxed, the rate of taxation or
the per cent on the dollar of valuation
Will be greater, so as to produce the
same amount of money that would be
raised by the present unequal system
of taxation; therefore, the owner Of