Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1904-02-18
THE SLAUGHTER OF THE
INNOCENTS.

The mortuary statistics of the city of
Berlin show that among the wealthy aris-
tocracy the death rate of children under
five years is 81 per thousand, while
among the poor it is 357 per thousand
This would imply that among the poor
three children out of every ten die for no
other reason than that they are poor.
What commentary upon our vaunted
material progress. Our boasted twentieth
century civilization out-Ierods Herod,
for it kills 80 per cent. OF all poor chill
dren under five years of age, while that
cruel king murdered only so per cent of
those under two.
In New York City $1,000 infants die
annually for want of fresh air, Yet there
are in the United States 1900, ,ooo, 900
acres of unused land, or more than
enough to give an acre OF breathing space
to every human being on the face of the
earth.
Labor today is Is times as productive
as in our great-grandfather day, yet
never child in that day died for lack Of
fresh air.
Here is problem: Why is it that labor
producing Is times as much, with the
same effort, asa century ago, there is
ever deepening pcvertyi Evidently it is
not on account of mans lack of industry
or productivity. ManifestIy, the law of
distribution must be at fault.
Manhattan Island was bought from the
Indians for $a4 worth of beads, knives,
tomahawks, etc. To-day the site of that
Island, exclusive of improvements, is
assessed for taxation at three billion dol
lars. And who will say chat the assess
ment represents the true market value
All the agricultural Land exclusive of
improvements) owned by all the farmers,
in the United States wouli not sell for as
much as the assessed vaipe Of Manhattan
borough, in Greater New York.
The 1000, 900 residentS of Manhattan
borough pay to the 10000 owners of that
borough the prodigious sim OF 5000, 900
900 annually as ground rent for the bare
right of living or doing business on that
little patch of earth. Thdbulk Of it goes
to the descendants of those'wooden-sho
Dutchmen who cultivateolthe land in the
early days. Five per cenA OF ii 10 appro-
priated by the Astor family alone.
Do these 10000 owner Of Manhattan
borough produce this S2t, ooe, 900 annu-
al ground rentl Ii ~. oiKacin were in
insane asylums, penitentiapies, or in their
graves, wouldn't the site Of the Island be
quite as valuablei If these owners do no
more toward producing these values than
do the millions of their fellow-citizens,
why should they be permitted to appro-
pirate them1
Barely one-half of Manhattan borough
is built upon. Within a radius of 20
miles of the city are hundreds Of thou
sands of acres of unused lands--sufficient
to afford ample dwelling room and
breathing space for all Of New York's
congested millions.
If the 500, ,ooo, 900 ground rent now
confscated annually by New Yori's 10,
900 owners, without any equivalent what
ever except the bare permission to live
on the earth which they did not make,
were appropriated by society, in place of
taxes, and if this plan were extended to
the remainder of the State and nation as
well, no land inside or outside of New
York City would be held out of use for
which there was demand. This vast sum
would meet all the requirements of public
revenue and enable the city to take over
all public utilities, supplying water, light
and urban transportation at cost. I'm
used land in and around the city could be
had simply by paying the taxes (annual
ground rent on it.
With cheap traction service and acces-
sible land, thousands would build their
own homes in the suburbs Rents would
drop and people would no longer be
obliged to live in human rookeries, whole
families in a single, badly-ventilated
room where the sunshine cannot enter
Then no infant would die in New York
for want of fresh air.
Private appropriation of ground rent
is responsible for the terrible infant NOR
tality among the poor According to the
latest assessment returns, 5000, 900 900
worth Of buildings and other permanent
improvements now stand on the site of
Manhattan Island as concrete, tangible
monument to the unflagging energy of
eight generations of New Workers.
Think Of it. The labor of eight GENERA
TroNs of the people of great city nets
$500, 100000 worth OF improvements,
while the tribute-taking power of one per
cent. of this population yields the same
amount in three YEARS.
This 5000, 900 annually should be
distributed equally among all in public
benefits. Then the remainder of what
labor produced would be distributed,
through natural channels, to each in pro-
portion to the service he rendered in the
satisfaction of human wants. If Henry
Georges single tax program were ap-
piled throughout the country labor would
receive 100 per cent. of its product. 1t
would receive IS times as much as it did
century ago.
The benefciaries of privilege, to quiet
the still, small voice Of conscience, dole
out an infnitesimal mite of their I'm