Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-11
SINGLE TAX A REMEDY FOR PRESENT DAY EVILS

Rock Island, September editor
The Argus: In the issue of your paper
dated the 5th inst, | notice an editorial
headed, "a Town Without Taxes,
which goes on to say, that the town of
Faleide, Norway, has set aside a tract
of land for revenue purposes, and eli
consequence of this source of COM
mercial wealth, there are no taxes il.
Faleide," and railways and telephones
and education are free. You then ask
the people of Rock Island and Illinois,
who step up annually to unload G
years savings at the treasurer's wi l.
dow to think of it," But have you
ever thought how much better thu
whole of Norway would be, if eacn
town were allotted "a tract of land for
revenue purposes, in the proportion III
its population? In other words, would
Norway not be more prosperous
country, if none or it's inhabitants was
required to pay taxes, and if all had
free telephones and railways?
Also, would not the United States
be better and more prosperous couu
try, if we had these advantages? And
We can have these advantages, and yet
other advantages, if we will but take
them. In order to take them. we nee
only take hat which rightfully belons.
to the people. You speak wisely, when
you say, shall we be wise in time
still remain part of the public domai.
in this country by wise laws, for tins
benefit of the whole people, or shall W,
permit them too, to pass into the hands
of the trusts, which, when another Goa
famine comes, may charge us what tn.
traffic will bear?" Yea. you speal
wisely, but not we'll enough.
1t is not enough to point out adva |
tages to the public, but to point on
also, the way in which the public cal
gain these advantages, with the leas
effort.
How TO FOrcstau Trusts.
If you will permit me in your col
umns, to do so, shall try to call attel
ton to the best way whereby the pub
lie can forestall the trust How cal
the public through wise laws, secut'
the timber and coal lands. which tn,
trust has not yet been able to grain
At first it may seem a knotty problem
but it is really so simple, that its yer!
simplicity prevents the people from
seeing how easily its knots may be un
done Not only can the people tak'
the timber and coal lands which sti'
remain outside the grasping paws 0
the trusts but they can take also thos
which the trust has already "cinched,
or at least they can force the trusts {,
sell at extremely reasonable rate
which win m the end, amount to tn
same timing No. President Roosevelt
trust BUSTING viii not bring about sue
results. The best that our presideT
can do, ii ne III. is to point out {
the people the Goad, which a grea
man discover Years ago.
That road is the only road. 1t i
useless to look for another, for Their
is none. The road | speak of, is tn
single tax. Do we want to wre-
from the coal trust, the coal land
which it is holding out of use? TIL
SllSlt tdA vii uO II, oiiSC INC SllS
tax will make it most Improbable fo
anyone to hold land of any kind wit.
out putting it to good use. Do W
want to bust the timber trust? w
can force the timber barons to let 2
of the lands which they are now hOl;
ing out of use. by making them pa
their full share of taxes, thus maxim
it highly Improbable for them to hol
onto it. The single tax can do it, an
it is up to the people.
Do we want to bust the steel trust
By means of the single tax we ca
force it to pay its full share of take
or if it would seem more profitable