The independent., 1903-05-14
THE FAIRHoPE ExAMPLE.

VI lue independently
The story of Fairhope will not be
uninteresting to your readers who are
studying the single tax.
There Is no demonstration of the
ory so perfect as it's practical opera
tion. So thought few single tay
enthusiasts who had taken up the
cross of the new crusade in Des
MOines, Ia, some ten years ago.
Though few in numbers and fnan-
cially weak, they were strong in the
faith that some way might be devised
to illustrate the effect of the basic
principle of the single tax, viz: the
concentration of all public burdens
upon the value off land exclusive Of
Improvements. AS nowhere in the
United States could the civil govern
ment be invoked to give the plan a
trial, recourse was had to the powers
of proprietary government, and a
syndicate was formed and a body OF
land secured CT the eastern shore OF
Mobile Bay in southern Alabama. Sew
eral reasons controlled the selection
of that site. It's beauty, its health
fulness and its nearness to the market
of Mobile, combined with the slight
first cost of the land were the chief
considerations. But 1t was not with
out the thought that in thus seeking
a locality away from the path of conf
mercial monopoly the undisturbet
evolution Of its plan might be the
better promoted.
Though only sixteen miles by wa.
ter from large and fourishing city,
the resources of Baldwin county,
where they located, had never been
but slightly developed. Such ship
ping facilities as it had were used to
exploit its resources rather than to
develop them. At the same time the
bay furnished an open highway for
shipping, and it was thought that the
syndicate or association, as 1t styled
itself, could soon provide it's own
means for reaching market. In 1875
very small colony Of Des Moines
people began the development OF It's
plans by opening small settlement
in the piney woods upon the bay
front. Today it has grown to be a
f1ourishing village, forming COM
munity of about three hundred souls
with all the advantages and conven-
fences that are usually present in such
communities and some that are no.
where else to be found.
The village has two large general
stores, a dry goods and millinery
store, drug store, bakery, butcher
shop, blacksmith, cobbler, tailor and
carpenter shops, good hotel, a liv-
cry stable, and a rice and sawmill.
It has a good school, two organized
churches and a free public library of
over two thousand volumes. OF pub
lie utilities 1t has large windmill
and tank which furnishes water free;
a wharf 1890 feet long; two public
bath houses, and several warehouses
for the handling of freight. Through
the kindness of friends who furnished
the means Fairhope has built and
equipped a steamboat of ninety-three
tons burden which plies between Fair
hope and Mobile and gives quick
and reasonable connection with Mo-
bile. 49,. -:..
All of these things have been &C.
complished by northern people work.
ing under conditions of soil and cli-
mate with which they were unfamil-
lar, upon lanl that is not subject to
private ownership.
The development of Fairhope has
far outstripped that of any other COM
munity in that part of the country and
has been for the most part the direct
result of labor unaided by special
privilege or capital.
The method employed is this: The
land is leased In such tracts as are
desired to anyone who applies. He is
given a ninety-nine year lease which
provides that he shall pay a rental
annually appraised by the executive
council of the association in such a
manner as to equalize the varying ad-
vantages of location and natural quail
tiles of its different tracts and convert
into the treasury of the association
for the common benefit of its lessees
all values attaching to such lands,
not due to the efforts or expenditures
of the lessees '"2 1888.
These rentals are used to pay all
taxes levied by county and state upon
the lands of the association and the
improvements and personal property
held by the lessees on such lands, and
the remainder, after such payment Is
used in local improvements for the