The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-23
A SINGLE TAX EXPERIMENT
The Fairhope Colony in Alabama the First
WoldIt Has Been Running Slowly
steadiy-seventy-fve Families Inhabit the Place.

value impaired to the site by location;
that is, by the proximity of other peo-
pie. So, If two men have equally good
locations and one makes more money
than the other, that is none Of our
business either. It is the result Of In
dividual qualities. And if a man lets
his lot lie idle and unimproved NE
don't reduce his rental a half or a
third, according to the ordinary Gus
tom Of taxgatherers. He has to pay
Just as much for it as if he were get
ting full value out of it.
AS a consequence there are no lots
held out Of use in Fairhope. The
compactness with which the village is
built up strikes any person familiar
the west in which miles Of city lots
stretching over the prairies are held at
fabulous prices. It has been estimated
that the four cities of Tacoma, Seattle,
Portland and Spokane Falls, with
combined population of 100000, in
enough city lots, if built up, to house
the populations of London, Paris,
Vienna and Berlin
The prime advantage of Fairhopa
at present for the poor man seeking a
home is that he has to pay nothing
down for his land. This, combined
with other advantages, has so inf1u-
,enced the land market in the vicinity
that Mobile land spectators carefully
steer their customers clear Of Fair
hope. Land in the immediate vicinity
has dropped from $40 to So an acre
since the founding of the colony.
owing to the superior advantages OF
being on colony land. This is hailed
by single takers with joy as the desired
result of their system in discouragin-
land speculation and leaving the
land open to the people.
A salient advantage in the develop
ment Of the colony has been the
steamer Fairhope. Wealthy single
takers in the north loaned the money
for this to be repaid out of the earn
ings of the boat. The colony's own
shipbuilders built the steamer. S5x17t
feet, Of ninety-three tons, and 1t be-
longs to the association. It gives .
direct and exclusive service between
Fairhope and Mobile, gaining for the
village an immense advantage over
other towns on the bag.
Residents at other points can save
time by driving to Fairhope to taka
the boat: the better service is an at
traction to summer and winter So
journers, and that all brings business
to Fairhope. The boat has been run
ming less than two years. After she
has paid for herself she will be
source of profit to the association.
Advantages of Fairhope.
Such advantages as Fairhope pos
sesses over surrounding !. towns may
reasonably be credited to its system
Of doing business 1t owns it's own
pier, the only town on the bay to do
so. 1t owns its own water system, q
very unusual thing anywhere in 80
small @ town. It has a school term
of nine months, instead of three or
four, like the surrounding towns. 1t
owns a public building for lyceum anE
social purposes, which houses a free
library Of over 1000 volumes 1t has
two commodious free public bath
houses.
The construction Of the boat hav-
ing been assisted by friends probably
should not be reckoned in, altho this
assistance was given solely because OF
the Fairhope policy, which insured
the boat becoming public utility.
Should the day ever come when no
! more public improvements are needed
| there would be an even rebate Of rent
ais to every tenant. There would be
no reduction Of rents, as it is the prin-
ciple Of the single takers to take the
full rent value. But there would be
an actual and equal distribution OF
CASH, illus giving Il1e 1lltIl LII lLlc pour
location his share of the value Of the
good location, on the we'll known
single tax principle that the land be-
longs equally to all and no person
should be allowed to enjoy more OF
its value than another.
If it Is asked why any private land
lord could not have built up such a
tenant community, Participants reply
that 1t is because in that case all the
profits which go to make Fairhopa q
pleasant place to live in would have
gone into the landlords pocket. tt
is case Of a community acting as
its own landlord
Not all colonists belong to the as
ISOLATION. Half of them are not even
single takers. Members Of the assoc
citation must be single takers and pay
| a 500 membership fee, money ac-i
cruing from this source going to tho.
purchase Of more land. Fairhope has
never asked for q dollar for running
expenses. It's only solicitation has
been for capital to buy more land
It's original purchase is almost en-t
tirely under use, and it wishes to ex-
tend its experiment on a larger scale.,
Other experiments are in the course
Of making besides the basic one OF
single tax. The referendum is in OPP
Grafton by which matters passed upon
by the council may be referred to al
vote Of the association in case Of dis
satisfaction. The imperative mandate
furnishes an effectual means of cali
ing down" any unsatisfactory official
whose retention may be made the;
subject of a special election on the
demand of 10 per cent Of the mem
bers. On the other hand, every off,.
DIAL is considered a candidate for re-
election unless he declines to serve
longer. All this for the purpose Of
discouraging party politics in local
affairs.
There is nothing to Indicate a
COLONY to the casual visitor to Tair-
hope. It seems like any other village at
the same stage Of development. Only
by delving into the details Of its bust
| ness management can it's true inward
ness be discovered. Probably Its pol
| Icy of absolute non-interference with
| the private beliefs and affairs of it's
colontsts is one secret of Its success.
A CONFESSION.