Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-11

the trust, it might let go of a bunch
of mines, which would otherwise burn
a hole in its pocketbook. And how
simple it is to do all this! All that is
necessary, is for the people to say the
word. But it will be necessary for the
people to speak loudly, because the
trusts will make an awful racket, i'll
trying to drown out the sound of the
public voice. But when t he public
has spoken, then indeed can the puo
lie have free telephones and railways
What good does it do the public TO
have a telegrapher's strike ever SO
often just on account of gigantic
land monopoly?
Public Not the Gamer.
What good does it do for the public
to get an increase of wages, when with
each increase of wages, the trusts
raise the prices of all commodities?
Why not take from the trusts the pow
err, which enables them to raise the
prices in proportion, as they are forced
by strikes and unions to increase
wages? What good does it do labor
W lllGlI II 10 lic0Illheo capt a.
when in reality it is fighting, not cap
ital, but private ownership of land?
But let me explain, before | go further.
what the single tax is. The single tax
is tax on land equal to the full rental
value of the land, irrespective of the
| improvements thereon, or the use to
which the land is put. This tax on
land values to be accompanied by the
repeal of all taxes now levied on the
products and processes of industry,
which taxes fall on, and are eventually
paid by the consumer and which. since
they take from the earnings of labor.
are an infringement on the right Of
| property.
In other words, the single tax is the
substitution of a single direct tax for
the multiplicity of indirect taxes now
! levied. The single tax will kill tax
dodgers, for a tax on land cannot Be
evaded since the land cannot be car
ried off or hidden, or its value sworn
away Its collection will be simple
and easy and the justice of the single
tax cannot be questioned, since it Is
merely the taking by the community
| for the use of the community, tina
value, which the community by il:
presence creates 1t is the carrying
to perfection of government of tn,
people, by the people and for tn
people. not in name only, but in fact
| Cnder the present system of taxation
we fine man for making improve
ments and who will say that this doe
not act as a check on the making o
| improvements?
A man owns lot and pays certa'
tax thereon. Some day he builds {
house on his lot, with the result tina
the next day the tax collector sweep
down upon him and increases his take
because he built a house and thereb,
added to the wealth of the community
A farmer OWLS a hundred acres o
unimproved land and pays certain
tax thereon; one day he builds hous,
and barn and tills his ground am
raises a crop and down comes the ia:
collector and increases his taxes be
cause he improved his land and mad
two blades of grass grow where nom
grew before. A man owns a patch o
ground and pays certain tax an
/, when he builds a factory thereon
, down comes the tax collector and ii
creases his taxes, for no other reaso
than that he has added to the aggrf
gate of the nations wealth.
; The single tax will not fine a ma
! l.; %11
tax is on the rental value of the III
improved land only and not on tn
improvements he may make thereon.
. How would the single tax effect tn
trusts? The coal trust is holding on
, of use thousands of acres of coal land