The independent., 1903-07-09
WAKEFIELD SURPRISED.

Harrington, Neb.
WAKEFIELD SURPRISED.
Editor Independent: | have read
with much surprise and some indig-
nation your two editorials in The In
dependent of 18th inst. on THE Sin
gle Tax" in which you assume that
single takers are either opposed or in
different to public ownership of all
public utilities, including railroads,
and differ from populists and demo-
Gratis (Kansas City PLATFORM on the
money question Such misrepresen-
tation Is expected from plutocratic
journals, but not from those profess
ing reform tendencies.
Nothing is nor can be better known
than that the philosophy of freedom
(single taxi aims at the elimination OF
every possible form of special priv
ilege or private monopoly, whether
In land. taxation, transportation. mon
ey, street railways, water and light
ing Plants, or otherwise.
Surely, you read the special edition
or our last national platform to little
purpose, or any of our standard books,
to receive such an impression.
The fundamental principle OF the
single tax economy is "No public bus
iress nor functions in private control:
no private business In government.
control"
While the single tax includes aboli-
tion of land monopoly, 1t does not ex-
clude abolition of all other forms of
monopoly, but distinctly demands it.
We lay most stress upon land and
taxation for the reason that nearly all
other monopolies will instantly dis
appear when their base in these two
fundamental wrongs is knocked from
under them. and because until it is, all
other methods of curbing monopoly
are utterly vain and worthless.
While we demand public ownership
and operation of all public utilities,
we believe this can best be secured
most quickly and cheaply-by treating
all rights of way franchises as land
value, taking in taxation all earnings
above operating expenses, current in
terest, repairs, etc., on actual plants,
or tangible personal property fprod-
ucts of labor) which would squeeze out
every drop of water, leaving only act
ual property to be purchased.
will treat the money question in 4
separate article.
w. H. T.. WAKEFIELD.
Mound City, Kas. .A..-.s.
Certain it is that neither of the
editors had any thought of misrepre-
senting either the single tax or single
takers, and, with the knowledge of
honestly trying to see the light Tor
''the cat" whichever it ISL the edi-
tors have no honeyed phrases to make
on account Of any indignant sub
scriber.
Doubtless Mr.. Wakefield is better
acquainted with the single takers of
the world than either of the editors
but they certainly know single takers
who, holding to strict construction
OF the philosophy, are opposed to the
public operating railroad through
government, or owning any part of a
railroad further than to take the full
fental value Of the right Of way. They
would construe the operation Of
railroad as coming within the inhi-
h,tion-"no private business in gov
ernment CONTROL" Some of them
would favor public roadbed and
lease it to private companies formed
for the purpose of operating railroads.
So long as men must paw this
economic rent" only by converting
man-made goods or human energy in
to coined money, and then turning the
coined money over to the taxing DOW
er, the editors believe the money
question paramount until settled on
scientific basis Taling economic rent
will not abolish the monopoly pos
sessed by the national bankers and
gold bullion gamblers.
Mr.. Wakefield's plan of squeezing
the water out of railroad values is
feasible doubtless, but what equity is
there in taking economic rent" from
The farmer and allowing him all he
can make as wages. and interest on his
capital invested in improvements.
while different rule is followed for
he railroads? Necessarily, under Mr.
Wakefield's statement. an arbitrary
rate of interest would be fixed upon