The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-11
Henry George.


Editor The Washington Herald.
It was 20 be expected that some of the
disciples Of Henry George would resent
anything said in opposition TO the single
tax theory. Extremists and opposers OF
/ established Institutions can see nothing
beyond their peculiar ideas and hobbies
and when they cannot convince by ar
gument and persuasion, they have ma
hesitation in resOrting 70 ridicule and
Misrepresentation.
Progress and Poverty" IS. perhaps one
OF the most fascinating works ever con-
ceived by the brain of man. In its stately
flow of language and elOQuence Of die
/ ton. il ranks with Macaulay's History
Of England Henry George IS the Ma
caulay Of political economy Hence. il
is no wonder that his work has been
so extensively read. and that be sue
ceeded in making so many converts.
He has made the dry subject Of po-
liticaI economy as entertaining and in
teresting as a work Of fiction II is the
only work on the subject that appeals d.
rectly 20 the masses, and II IS read by
them with avldlty.
The great object and aim Of his work
is 20 show that II his ideas or political
economy are adopted. poverty and pau
perism will diminish. and the condition
of the masses be greatly improved.
To accomplish this he proposes 70 con-
fscate rent by aboHshing all taxes eX-
cept upon land values How would this
abolition Of private property in land tend
TO increase employment. reduce enforced
idleness and pauperism, or increase
wages The disciples OF Henry George
try 10 show how II would accomplish
this object. but Henry George himself
did not answer these questions. En-
plOyment can be increased only by en-
larginS the demand for commodities
which depends upon the social character
and wants, OF the standard Of living OF
the masses. which could in no way be
affected by such a change Let us sup
pose that all taxes were abolished ex-
cept those upon land values. What
then? Would taxes be any smaller on
that account? / do not think John
Strayer viii contend that they would be
In all probability they would be very
much higher. The expenditure Of pub
lie money would not be reduced. The
cost OF the army and navy. the police.
the city, the State. and national gov
eminent would not be lessened by the
transfer of taxes from houses TO lands.
If this single-tax theory prevailed. and
the land owner paid all the taxes, ne
would simply exact from the nonland
owner enough mare rent 10 cover the
amounts. and rents would be so much
higher II by this means the land should
come into the possession of the govern
ment. the difficulty IS not overcome, but
only removed one step. II $4,000. 900 Is
required 10 run the government. that
amount must be raised. II II IS TO come
directly from the land. and the land Is
the property Of the slate. then IL would
simply have 10 be paid 10 the government
in the form OF rent instead Of taxes-a
change in form, but not in fact Nor can
Il be shown that rent would be any lower
or that account. Rent would have 20 be
determined either by the free operation
Of economic forces, as at present, or arbi-
trarily determined by authority.
II the government became the sole land
owner. would not the more than 5.5O0OoO
present land OWNER IN this country be
driven into the ranks Of the laborers. ana
thus increase the army of the unem-
ployed3 And If, as Mr.. George asserts.
"the wages Of the employed are kept
down by the pressure OF the unem-
ployed," would not that tend to depress
rather than improve the laborer's condi-
tlon2
The single-tax advocates contend that
II the government owned the land. the
rent. even II as high as It is now. would
not go into the pockets of private indi-
vlduals. but into the treasury Of the peo-
pie. How would that affect wages and
There are but two ways in
which surplus wealth thus reaching tho
public treasury could be distributed
among the people. First as charity or
and. second. by reinvest-
ment and production The first. redistri-
button. instead of helping to relieve the
difficulty. would be a positive aggrava-
tion of II. There is nothing so uneco-
nomic extravagant. and Tasteful as re-
II Is arbitrary, unwise and
always demorallzing. That state of So
ciety is not best which has the most. but
which has the least charity. the least
arbitrary distribution OF wealth in any
form. Wealth can be economically ana
wisely distributed only in the process ~
It's production. No wealth tends 70 nAr-
improve the condition of the
laboring classes which does not reach
them as the result Of productive effort
AS 10 the second. reinvestment in nro-
1uctive enterprises. The government ca,
successfully undertake productive enter
prise only on the same conditions as
private individuals. The government can
not permanently produce a commodity
Tor which there is no effectual demand
Whether the government can success.
'ully produce any commodity depends |
lpon whether such commodity could be J