Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-15
PARTING SHOT
IN SINGLE TAX

Rock Island, Nov. 12-Editor Argus:
Single takers propose at stroke of
the pen"-to wipe out of existence
all accumulated wealth and surplus
capital" says Mr. Osborn in his latest
outburst. Fortunately for himself he
does not attempt to show how stroke
of the pen could wipe any real wealth
or capital out of existence, and so
shall say nothing, such statement be-
ing too evidently absurd to merit at
tentiOfH
Not content with anything less, Mr..
Ocborn proceeds to question the IS l.
'gacity and honesty" of the authors OF
+ the single tax. The reader howeva.
Will be able to determine for himself
if he will but read carefully what
have TO say regarding Mr. Osborn ana
land auction"
First it will be well TO note that he
has abandoned all attempt to attack
: the single tax on the fields of abstract
morality or practicability. Hence he
has left only his doctrine of expedien-
cy, but as we shall presently see, his
position is quite untenable. for it IS
clear that he puts his own interests
above the interests of others. ard
therefore "eXpediency' is a poor plea
for him. | ask him to say how an adj
mittedly unjust social system can be
defended on the ground of eXpediency Z:
! As the test of "expediency" is moral
ity," we find that justice and expedi-
ency go hand in hand. and if Mr.. Os-
born thinks differently he must show
that robbery and murder are permits.
isible for the sole reason that they are
eXpedient. Speaking of his objections
he says, they are founded on repre-
sensations of the single tax publicly
made by its champions, and | claim
q the right to use my own judgement
as to the outcome of any policy pro
posed AS we shall presently sec.
his objections resulting from the prePl-
s diced state of his mind. AS for his
judgement, it shall have full PLAY.
< Says he, "thc single tax is objectional
because it is deceptive, in that it prom
ses to furnish land to the landless AMI
s because of this promise it wins adj
,herents." Will the gentleman please
state when the single tax held out su"h
a promise to the landless?
This indeed is one of the Object :
of the single tax, but only its smallest.
and has never been held out as barr
TO win adherents. However, we can
afford to meet him on his own groun1
and | will take it on myself to hold
out this promise. just for this occasion
and show that the single tax can keep
such promise. even if it seems so i'm
possible of fulfillment to him. Here IS
where Mr.. Osborn does not consider
what taxation is and what its effects
are. Taxation has opposite effects on,
ID commodities, and GU land values.
For this statement | have all the
authorities from the days of Adam
Smith, and as they can be easily look
ed up by anyone who doubts, | shall
save time by not quoting any of them
CD A tax on commodities forces
upward the price of commodities.
o. A tax on land values forces
down the price of land.
The higher the tax on land values
the lower the selling or capital valu-
of the land and if the tax equals the
full rental value of the land. the land
has no selling or capital value. Hence
under the single tax, the initiation will
be taken out of land values, and they
will sink to their proper value. Oh
which basis they will be taxed This
begins to look little like free land,
don't it? Mr.. Osborn reasons back
ward for he assumes that all nation
al, state and local" taxes being throw
on land values, the price of land wi
increase Now the single tax being sc
heavy that no one could afford to hoe
land without using it, millions upor
millions of acres will be thrown oper
for settlement. which now are held 70,
speculation. Anyone could take an
work it, without paying a cent o
taxes. until such time as all land Q
the next higher grade had been so ia
exhausted that this lower grade Ian
begins to have value For a lowe
grade of land can not have and neve
did have value, as long as highc
grade of land could be had for tn,
asking. This looks still more "lik;
free land" doesn't it? There is plent.
of land, its apparent scarcity being al
tificial, the cause being speculation
| hope Mr.. Osborn will grasp the prir
ciple involved, for if he cannot, | ca
do no more, as | can't give him Sit
sight he must have that for himself