The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-03-24

society produces a value, as well ao
/ the individual
Because the farmer is not robbed CT
his entire social product, as is the
landless man, he clings to his small
land value in his little farm. But
this system is so enslaving TO botn
labor and capital that under it wages
and the profits of capital can never
rise to all that they really earn.
Students of Henry George know that
SO long as the social fund is SO I'M
equally distributed just so long will
wages be low, and business depJ es
sion increase.
The truth is that under the single
tax, the farmers and small hometown
ers would receive far more land val
ues than at present. Then people are
generally SO constituted that they can
not comprehend that they possess
ownership of land values, unless it
takes some tangible shape, as in the.I
particular farms.
This Is the result of hundreds OF
years of individual land value owner
ship. When we have had fifty years
OF social land value ownership each
one will readily comprehend that his
share is an equal pro rata part Of the
whole, however great it may be. In
such social state, there will be &
community OF interests-a common
brotherhood in which men will nc
longer worry for fear they cannot find
work to do at good wages, or that
old age may leave them homeless.
There is still another reason why
the masses fear this change in taxa
ton, and that is because politics are
SO corrupt at present that they fear
the social fund will not be equally
distributed even were it fairly COL
lected; but it Is the grabbing through
special legislation of the social fund
that is the cause of political cOrrup-
ton. Tax away from monopoly what
she is receiving of the social product,
and she will have no incentive to
bride the political boss, and ne will
disappear.
Were each farmer to receive his
share OF the annual ground rent-the
social product--of his community. be
will receive far more than he gives.
His taxes would be about one-third
less than now. That would represent
what he gives the community; but his
social benefits would be two-thiris
more than now. This would repre-
sent what he would receive, such as
better schools, better roads, three
cent fares, lower freights, low tele-
graph or telephone rates, cheaper
coal, light, and if Nationally intro
duced cheaper prices for almost ev-
cry manufactured article.
These advantages would increase
the power of his earnings from 10 to
II per cent
Thomas g. Sherman, after years of
study upon the subject, stated it as his
conviction that to remove all taxes
from everything but land values. ami
tax them so lightly as to collect only
one-half of the social product. would
result in raising wages so per cent!
Think of it! Labor unions conduct
costly strikes at great suffering foi q
rise of 10 per cent. If they would but
study this question, they would soon
vote new system of taxation into be-
ing, that would raise their wages 30
per cent and end commercial depres-
sions; for as Mr.. Sherman so well
said, wage-earners rarely save their
wages. A rise Of so per cent means
a home market that would set all
wheels of industry in motion, and keep
them so.
MIR. Sherman also showed that to-
day the farmer was being taxed on
his land values nearly as much as lie
would be under his plan. but that me-
nopoly was escaping this tax almost
entirely. Tax its social privileges at
their full value II would soon cease
to be monopoly.
True under the,single tax the farm |
er would not bo able to sell his land |
for a large lump sum. Neither would
any one else. SO he would not have TO |
pay large sum for homes for his /
children. The conditions would be so |
changed that only those who realize
how differently men act and appear
under hardshlps and privatlons from
what they do when they have leisure /
and pienty-only those who dwell In |
loving thought upon this great scheme |
on justice can fully appreciate all that |
the single tax has In store for hui |
manlfy