The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-11-10
THE SINGLE TAX
SYSTEM ON TRIAL

Vancouver, British Columbia, with
its phenomenal growth in recent
years, is pointed to these days as a
vindication of the theory of the prin-
clple OF single tax For the last year
this city has been pointed to from the
remotest corners of the globe as one
that does not penalize the builder of
home, business block or the man.
utacturer of any useful thing.
Vancouver has demonstrated be-
yond cavil that one who bouilds hu-
man habitation is a benefactor ratehr
than an enemy of the human family.
There the owner of a comfortable,
even luxurious home, contributes no
more towards maintaining the fire de-
partment, the police department and
the public schools of the city than the
man or woman who, living in Lon
don, owns the contiguous lot of SINH
lar area and desirability.
The man who erects a million
dollar office building is not forced to
contribute any more towards main
tanning the public parks, public libra
ry or any other public necessity, not
even fire protection, than the owner
of similar lot adjacent and of the
same area. The owner of a fire
proof apartment house equipped with
all the conveniences known to mod
ern civilization, is not compelled to
pay into the municipal treasury any
more than the owner of tenement
house which may be a veritable fire
trap, provided the latter is similarly
located.
Vancouver did not act precipitately
in exempting buildings and improve
ments from taxation. The first step
in this direction was made in 1896,
when so per cent of the value of i'm
provements was exampted from taxa
ton. After ten years, in 1906, the ex-
emption was increased to IS per --~r
Then four years later, in 1910, the
exemption was made complete.
There are but few cities in the
world that have grown from a wilder
ness into substantial, metropolitan,
cosmopolitan city with the phenomen-
al strides that have marked the
growth of Vancouver. Only 26 years
ago, its present site was a dense for
est of mammoth frs and cedars.
From 1906 to 1910, the four years
of the rs per cent exemption, and
the first year that the exemption was
total, land values increased from $751;
i01,76O to $o8,777,0O0, an increase of
$3,676,025, an average annual in
crease of $l473s,20s. During the
same period, improvement values in
creased from $l4O87,6 $40 to $37, 845,-
200, in increase of $23,757,6 an av-
erage annual increase of $475l ,524
The estimated population increased
from $4,000 to o370O. This phenom-
email increase in values and popula-
ton had no augmentation from the
| VI nCW
The substantial character of Van
couver's growth is best indicated by
the building permits issued by the
building inspector. From 1902 tc
1905, the last four years of so pei
cent exemption, 2773 permits were
issued, the aggregate value of which
| ,,,,e OK QQJ 6d6 Dur;op the fou,
years the Is per cent exemption pre-
vailed, the total number of permits
issued was $3.50, aggregating in value
$23,1S0,6l2. During 1910, the frs
year of the total exemption of i'm
provements from taxation, 2260 per
mits were issued, aggregating in valu'
$l3,l50,365. Only four other Pacific
coast cities surpass this record in issu
ing permits during the year 1910
they are Los Angeles, SCI ,6S4, 100
Portland, $20,osl,3S2; San Francisco
$lo,648,o7o; and Seattle, $17,4l8,a1
The fact that Vancouver first re
. moved 50 per cent of her general tax
then Is per cent of it, and finally al
of it is taken as conclusive proof tina
the citizens are convinced of the mer
: its of raising all revenues on the singl
tax on land. Still cautious men vii
, insist that the phenomenal growth o
i Vancouver may be in spite of the sin
gle tax and not because of it. Be
!, cause of this caution that will hesitat
before diving headlong into this neN
I system of taxation.-Statesman.