The independent., 1904-01-21
ONE MORE INSTANCE.

| liG1iiihNi
ONE MORE INSTANCE.
| Los Angeles, Cal, May ia few
men now hold, unused, fully nineteen
twentieths of the arabic land Of Cali
fornia, while millions of people are
suffering for the want of that land. In
the Miller and Lux estate alone
| (Which comprises 14,539,200 acres)
there is enough land held out of use
to support population Of 100000, Or
nearly four times the present pop
ulation of the state. Fifteen men own
nearly all the valuable land In Colusa,
Glenn, Tehama and Butte counties.
From the Boggs ranch to that owned
by Rawlins, comprising "A miles OF
exceeding fertile land, we find only
one small village, one chu1 ch and
three school houses. Competent
judges state that this land could cas-
lily support city Of $4,000 population
and rural population Of 100000.
More than 100000 acres of Califor-
| MA land are held out of use by only
eight persons and estates Besides
this, the greater part of the millions
OF acres given to the railroads in this
state are still unused. Ralph Hoyt in
Johnstown Democrat.
Suppose a single tax governor and
/ legislature in California was to i'm
pose tax of So per acre on chose 49,
100000 acres. Wouldn't it cause those
landlords to hustle to pay S32,O00,0GO
a year? Wouldn't they be compelled
to employ labor to put it to use to
raise that revenue? Wouldn't they
give up large tracts of it to the state?
And wouldn't California tone of the
best agricultural states in the Union)
then be able to offer that good land to
hundreds of farmers sons 1or moth
ing? Paying merely 81 per year per
acre for schools, roads, courts, ETC.,
not land! For land is the free gift Of
God to all. Why should man be
compelled to buy Gods gift from his
| brother?
And if farmers carrying mortgage
could thus get good farms for moth
ing, how long would they stay with
the mortgage around their neck?
Wouldn't it mean a lot of mortgages
who would be glad to get any kind of
money (silver or greenbacks) as long
as it was legal tender, for the farms
they did not want and could not use?
| And how such a use of the land and
the land values by an awakened con-
science and an aroused intelligence
would knock all kinds of trusts to
smithereens can be seen in a few mo-
ments, by any farmer who knows the
difference between threshing sugar
beets and puallkir,s. I will be pleased
to answer any further questions on
this matter at future time If re-
| qnested hy ycnr rea7a"s
TOM BAWDEN,
Editor "Our Commonwealth"
Detroit, Micn
| (That little editorial note to Mr.
Doblln's communication had the in
tended effect. MI. Baw len is certain
ly at home in explaining what the
| farmer could reasonably expect to re-
ceive in lieu of that rise in land value
which is now about all he gets out
of years OF toll. But
There are still few little prelim-
| inaries. Suppose Mr.. Bawden were
elected this year as governor of Mich
igan-and | know of no man | would
rather see elected governor of that
state. And suppose he should have a
legislature fully in accord with his
views. And suppose the necessary
laws should be enacted to carry into
effect the single tax-as to Michigan.
Could Tom Bawden tax the Calumet &
Hecla $4,500,000 a year? | don't be-
lieve he could do It. That is. don't
believe he could ever collect 1t.
There Is a United States supreme
court To reckon with. and we, out here
Ii Nebraska. have some idea how that
court decides matters affecting the in
terests of the big fellows. We had a
maximum freight rate law-have II
yet-hut II Is hung up, like a scare
crow in cornield. bv federal court
decision which MO man clearly under
stands. except that the railroads don't
have 10 obey the lawl
| raise objections 10 the single tax
In order To ret elngle takers 10 come
hack 20 earth once In n while. It's
easy 10 picture on imaginary heaven
and Tom nawien is surely an artist.
but the rreat litliculty Is 10 get there.
Maybe Tom ean tell ms that. too