The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-23
Mr.. WATSON AAD
THE SINGLE TAX
Tom Watson Discusses Fallacies
(?) Of Idea of Single Tax
Idea.
One Who Knows Question Severe
ly Criticises Populist View of &
Tax Problem,

5
Tax Problem. Fl
Tom Watson, of Thompson, Georgia,
in the June number OF his magazine
explains the fallacies of the single tax.
If his arguments could demolish this /
doctrine they would have done so long
ago, for they are the well worn objec-sss
tions of the Socialist disputant-i
Mr.. Watson considers the case of . !
St., Louis landlord who. without spend /
ing a cent in taxes or improvement,
derives an annual income of twenty
thousand dollars from lot fifty feet
wide. MI
The Appeal from LAW and Custom.
Mr.. Watson wants to know if the I
fellow did not comply s"with the laws /
which the community has made?"' Yes
and so did the banker, and the rail-
road magnate and all the rest Of Mr..
Watsons' bogie men. Is progress to be
halted by the laws Of dead men? Wei
enlightened public policy. How else
his Populist heaven: -
Mr.. Watson declares "that quality
rather than quantity makes the city
grent" In justice to the Socialists it
should be said that this argument Is i
original with Mr.. Watson. It is an I'm /
portant discovery which should entitlo |
the Georgia editor to a university pro-
fessorship.
II quality and not numbers make 4
city great, real estate ought to bring
a good price in Thompson. though Mr.. !
Watson seems to have more land than
land values.
There Is no dfsputfnE the fact that
three million Americans would make
the land more valuable than as many !
Zulus. Does Mr.. Watson flourish this
at us to dodge the fact that three mil
Slion Americans would make more land /
value than three thousand?
Newspapers and Corner Lots.
Mr.. Watson, the populist flies to the t
rescue Of the Astors- He speaks Of the /
genius OF the Astors and compares it /
favorably with the genius Of a Pulitser|
or q Greeley. There is this slight dff- T
ference. That ABtor land would have
been just as valuable today II Astorf
and his genius had, never been born.
But great newspapers do not come. in.1
to existence like land values, 20 spite
zsl5z b5df f6g q fs8d..66f t. i nsss ii sisj;Sa1
It He leased It to others, always on 4
the condition that they make all in-
provements. AS the city grew he be-.
came rich. He reaped the *'unearned4
increment" Of land value. II Mr.. Wat
son contends with the college profess
sors and the socialists, that there Is an
unearned increment in newspapers az /
well as in land. let him try buying
a newspaper outfit and holding it al I
Astor held his land. Or, If residence I
in New York city brings to the editor i
an increment OF wealth due to the pops
ulation and not to his labor, why does
not Mr.. Watson move to New York;
Apparently the only reason his maga-i
zine is not q rival Of Mcclure is that
Mr.. Watson lives in Thomson.
The genius Of the andlord consists t
in grabbing not in making land values
Society makes them.
In the files Of the probate comt OIL
Cincinnati, there is the record OF man
who was adJudged insane and sent to {
an asylum, partly ON the evidence OF I
real estate Investments in Kansas City. !;
Those investments today are the basis
of his fami1y's fortunea
Let Them Move
But the land problem is nothing 10
the Watson intellect. If New Yorker4i
do not like to pay rent to the Astors,3ls
he suggests that they move. TheyI
might go to Thomson. Then they;
would raise shy-scrapers instead OH
yams on the Watson patrfmony and
have the satisfaction Of knowing that
they had changed landlords
Let them move Yes, and when Mr..
Watson cries out against railroad
monopoly, ask him: What Of It? Let
them walk. And # he declares against
the horrid bankers, say to hiun-BAI#
calm, Mr.. Watson, and hoe your xamaA
If we do not like the bankers, we can
use socks.
The Real Contentfon. 55
Mr.. Watson believes that each man
In proportion to his wealth. The sinR1aT
tax man believes that each should pay
for what he gets, He holds that thaii
value Of governments services Is res
hected In land values. Thorefor letIs
the owner pay according to the value
Of his land. The tenant pays when he
pays his rent :Ql
= : = .-----t5 -,.---- 5=5s S
BOTH HAD TROUBLES.
saw only two people In tears yes- &
terday. They were q little tailor and
his wife.
Bewaf1s Financial Loss
IT lost mine shop" the little man
blubbered. Il lost mine home achs
Gottl lost eevrythmg.. .and the teara B