The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-07-05
A REAL SINGLE TAX TOWN
Henry Georges Theories in Success
fuI Operation by 400 Persons.
COLONY BEGAN WITH FIFTEEN
slabama Settlement Where No One Is
Taxed and Municipal Profits All Go
For the. Common Good of
Every Resident.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
T.HE worlds first and only single


| bered but fifteen, represented several
States and nationalities. They started
| by naming their town "Fairhope," and
10y choosing for their motto: I'VE will
make good theories work" In eleven
years the community has acquired 1000
acres of land and has options upon a
much larger area. 1t has a public
school system, a library, a church and
| all the usual business houses that go to
make up the average American town
except a saloon. During the past
fifteen months village Improvements
costing $4,000 have been made. Ply
ing between Fairhope and Mobile is a
steamer which carries two carloads of
freight and 115 passengers. This YES
sci too, is owned by the colony.
State and county taxes are naturally
| imposed, but are paid as a whole by
the colony and not by the individuals.
BY purchasing and plotting the land as
colony. this community has accumu-
lated the profits usually realized by a
promoter or land speculator. The land
was originally purchased at from S1.25
to SO an acre, and with the establish
ment Of shipping interests, business
places, educational facilities and public
utilities it has increased in value with
the usual rapidity attendant upon srch
development to the enriching of the
many rather than the few.
The citizen pays no purchase price
for his land. His contract takes the
form of a ninety mine year lease, which
can be renewed at the end of that
period The title of the land is vested
in the Fairhope Association as trustee
for those who reside thereon. Member
ship in this society costs 500, payable,
If desired, at the rate of So a month.
! and all such sums are continually ap-
piled to the original purchase Of addi-
tional land. Having no purchase price
to pay for his land the lessee eXpends
his capital in improvements upon the
land-the establishing of industries,
homes or places of business.
During a recent year the receipts of
the association from land rentals
reached $500, and from the wharf
about $1,000 more. These are the two
sources of revenue of Fairhope as
colony. The total taxes to be paid to
the county and State were about S700.
Only S125 is paid out in salaries an
nually, there being but two salaried
officers, a secretary and treasurer.
The pay of all other officers or en-
ployes isn't so much per hour for
the actual time spent. Not n dollar
is invested in interest or i'll dividends
on stock at any time. Therefore, the
greater part of the receipts are devoted
TO public improvements, and in keeping
up the schools All of the improve
ments are carried on under the direc-
tion of trustees whom the citizens
themselves select.
The Fairhope colony stands for nu-
merous reforms. Chief among them
are the initiative and referendum and
municipal ownership. Inasmuch as
women are allowed equal rights with
men to vote in all municipal affairs,
the colony may also be said TO stand
for woman's suffrage.
The elections are by secret ballot
under the Australian plan, and, on
petition of ten per cent. of the col
onlsts, any measure which has either
been acted upon or proposed must he
submitted to the vote of the entire
membership. The granting of fran
chises for public Utilities to either
corporations or individuals is for
hidden, as Is also the issuing of bonds
and the paying of interest. Fairhope
is proud Of the fact that she has no
especial use for the rich, that she has
no spectators within her borders, ana
that she grants absolutely 10 special
privileges.
The Fairhope colony should not be
mistaken for community of Socialists
or Goddess band, as is sometimes the
case with the followers Of radical re-
forms. Many of them are regular at
tendants at church and the annual an
niversary celebrations are opened with
prayer A prominent Single Tax paper
styles these colonists the Pilgrim Faith
ers of the Twentieth Century, and one
of the leading newspapers of Mobile
says Fainrhope is one OF the strongest
arguments offered IN support of the
practicabllity Of the Single Tax theory.
Ii has been said of the people who
made Fairhope that they were all poor
men, and that they are still poor, but,
as community. have more wealth
than any town twice the size, and
which has been in existence three
times as long. The fact is also pointed
out that nelghborlng settlements have
not grown near as rapidly as Fairhope.
One of the problems OF Fairhope has
been the attitude that she should main
tain toward her nelghbors who remain
outside the colony, but who would
like to share in its benefits. The asso-
citation grants to both residents and
non-resideDts the use Of its library. and
the colony steamer bas benefited all
the surrounding territory. However,
the colonists do not feel that they can
extend the use of their schools, tele-
phone systems, baths and other public
enterprises to those who do not reside
on the colony lands for the reason that
all these land benefits are reflected ac-
curately In the land values which are
returned to the association to be used
again for mutual benefit. In extend
Ing thes privileges to their neighbors
. 4