The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-08

bounty of nature to which all people
have an equal right, and that the only
men who were entitled to any pay
were the capitalists who furnished the
machinery and the men who did the
work of digging coal.
Some people proposed that the gov
eminent should take possession of
those mines and employ men to dig
coal. But there is simpler rem
edy than that 1t is taxation If every
owner of coal mine had to pay in
taxation what it is worth to keep every
one else off Of that mine no one else
except the actual user OF the mine
would own it. Then labor could apply
itself to any unused opportunity and
wages would be what each worker
could make working for himself or by
voluntary corporation with others,
and the conditions and rules under
which he would work for an employer
would have to be as agreeable as he
would make them while working for
himself.
AS long as Mr.. Shellenger and "the
papers OF the United States do not
see the difference between capital and
iuOIiopOty, VI luc ulllci cuLt Dt-
tween capital which has no monopoly
and capital which has possession Of a
gift of nature from which the monop-
oily has not been eliminated by taxa
ton, just SO long will they create
strife between capital and tabor" and
1T will not be worth while for them
to preach and teach that capital and
labor should go arm in arm" Our
friends, the socialists are not able to
see that it Is monopoly and not cap
italism that they should fight.
Capital is that part of the products
Of labor which is used for the produc-
ton Of additional products of labor
There Is not likely to be too much cap
ital in any country. for most people
generally want little more" wealth
and are willing to devote their capital
and labor to the production of lit
tie more.
Under the present system of taxing
labor products II build house upon
q vacant lot and rent it to a man he
pays me for the use OF both house and
lot. That part of the payment which
is for the use Of the house is prop
erly interest and being for the use of
something which | built by my labor
is justly mine. That part Of the mans
payment to me for the use of the land
is rent and is for something | did not
build or create Nature furnished that
and the value which attaches to it tits
rent producing power) for which the
man pays me, is produced by the pres
| ence of all the people who constitute
the community, and the community
should take it for public purposes for
the same reason that the payment for
| the use of the house comes to me,
namely because the community pro-
duces it.
Under the present system the state
takes part of the payment which | re-
ceive for the use of the house, which is
a robbery by the state of part of the
products of my labor for the house is
the creation Of my industry. The state
now also takes part Of what | get
for the use of bare land and here it
fails of it's full duty.
| Were our present policy reversed it
would destroy speculation in, and pre-
went forestalling of land 1t would
put stop to the dog-in-the-manger
business in regard to- the earth on
which and from which all must live
Every man could have home. The
opportunities which the earth affords
for employment would be opened to all
subject only to the tax or premium
which each one would have to pay for
the special advantages of location
which he might possess over others
and then all he produced would be his
without diminution by taxation.
Every man would have job either
working for himself or another. There
would be no need for trade unions
and every shop would be an open
shop" THOMAS HUNT.
Kennedy, Ohio.
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