The independent., 1904-01-21
HOW THE SINGLE TAX ON LAND
VALUES WILL BENEFIT
FARMERS.

pAltMLlAo.
Editor Independent: | think there
is good deal OF truth in what you
say in reference to Mr.. DOblin's re-
marks in your issue of January Z, and
| want to emphasize on the govern
ment's use Of that income from land
values, as the great and lasting ben
eft to the farmers especially. Our
greatest land values are in Oul large
cities and many mining properties as
well as uncultivated acres in large sec
tions in many states.
Take, for instance, the Cripple Creek
mining property in Colorado, only 4
miles by miles in area, yet it has
produced since it's discovery in 1851,
$780, 900, and for several years it's
output has been $2,000,000 per month;
and according to recent report (Jan-
uary 81 it's dividends for 19O3-a bad
year because of the strike-was ST.
706, ,96269, let lis say $200O,0C0
Now all this $2,000000 is land val
ue, after paying wages, wear and tear
Of machinery, superintendency, etc.
Let us allow that they have 100000
worth of nery-capital-and we
will give them 10 per cent for the use
of that. And the single tax would
take for the state of Colorado, for fed
eral as well as local use, Sl,350,00O a
year.
For it is civilizations use of gold
for ornament, medical and financial
purposes, that creates that price or
value to that great bounty Of nature.
And when we take it for our COM
munal purposes, and with it build and
run a railroad, telephone OR Lele-
graph system, how quickly our present
corporations will commerce to serve
instead of rob the people and the
farmers! And il all the mineral
wealth of Colorado alone, much Of it
untaxed and unused, was treated as
enormous fund would pour into the
public Golfers; enough to put an cleo
tric light and motor in every farmers
home and barn to run the washing
machine or churn for his wife and
daughter, as well as a telephone for
the home, all paid for with those
same dividends now paid to eastern
capitalists, whose damnable greed is
crushing down labor to point where
it restricts their enjoyment of farm
products to a meagre allowance.
Here in Michigan the Calumet &
Hecla, a few hundred acres area in
the copper country, has paid dividends
of $5,000,000 for several years. This
represents the difference-(b because la
bor and wear and care of machinery
has been paid before this dividend is
declared)- between this land and land
that has no value. Again, it repre-
sents in its price the demand for cop
per consequent upon the discovery of
electricity and its many purposes ana
powers. So when by the single tax
we-the people-take' it for our own
public uses we will stop that Infamous
confiscation of human rights that for
centuries has wrought such an amount
Of war and hell on this earth.
Now, imagine If you please, Tom
Bawden elected governor of Michigan
on a single tax ticket, and at once
taxes the land values of the Calumet &
Hecla $4,000. 900 per year (allowing
100000 for actual interest on actual
capitaD and then announce the build
ing of a railroad with that money,
from Detroit to Grand Rapids to run
at / cent mile for passengers and
equally low rates for freight. How
quickly the G. t. r., M. G. r. r. and
p. & M. lines would be at Governor
Bawden's feet to pray him not to
build that railroad; that they would
carry the people for cent a mile,
etc. In other words they would serve
instead of rob the farmers and mer-
chants. And thus compelled to be use
full citizens, the s4500,0 900 each year
could be put to use making asphalt
roads for the farmer all through the
country. lighted with are lights just
like the cities with phone for the
farmers house, an electric light and
power for a motor for his barn for
threshing or churning: and all paid
for with what III now paid out 10 few
parasitic capitalists In Wall street,
How this would ruin The stock
market and cause the sure decline OF
Wall street and the money power one
can realize when We think IL the same
tax heing levied ON the iron. coal.
granite xlue cement timber lands