The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1911-06-10
A SINGLE-TAX
J, COMMUNITY,

If the shade Of the beloved Ton,
! johnson, former IIayOr Of Cleveland
and disciple Of Henry George, is wan
dering around any corner of the earth
now, it is probably happiest IN that
| little part Of the Saskatchewan prov
ince of Canada called Alberta. Here,
| Henry Georges favorite single tax
scheme is being tried with the most
gratifying results. .All of this is told
/, in the American Magazine by MIR. Al
bert j. Mock under The caption. "A
Community That Pays-Its Own Bill y
This condition is so propose ssing
| that we were immediately filled with
curiosity to know more about this
community.
1t seems that notwithstanding the
fact that Alberta is farther north than
New York. the climate is as temperate
AS that of New York. The land is
rich, only needing to be stirred with
the plow to produce abundantly.
This, according to Mr. Mock, is a
brief digest OF Alberta's tax policy:
Here, she says to her citizens, is land
with lis potential wealth What gives
value TO it is the number Of persons
who want it. Help Yourself All you
make out of it is yours no tax on
properly. industry. production. Pay
simpIy what the demand (the oumber
IT i'eople who want iU determines the
privilege is worth. If YOU can make
ten million dollars we won't 5ergrudge
you a single dollar; and if you want
to put up a house butt of silver and
gold, we won't tax it cent. But
l., - ~, hi,
ilcee or leave it idle, you will pay in
iher cas- just what it is wo TIL"
The results Of this policy, according
to Mr.. Mock, are almost Ut plan.
"One would like to believe says the
writer. that Alberta worked out her
tax policy by careful economic study.
but. to tell the truth she drifted into
it by accident' In the territorial
DAYS land was tie only means of rails
ing revenue in The Nor Invest, and the
land was taxed. Alberta, when she
grew into a provli ce, five years ago,
found in looking over the old terrific
rial Legislation, the land tax measure
and adopted the pan into her PROVING
iai policy. Her ties and villages are
free to tax as they please, but most
OF them. seeing lie simplicity of the
single tax experiment, are working it
out for themselves.
Edmonstol', the capital city, began
with various iaxing measures, but,
through c3i h!ct with the Hndst n
Bay Company. which happened to-
own block in the. heart Of the cry
under an Old grant. became educated
in the single tax idea and progressed
ont If her other taxes The city grew
and land values Increased. The Hud-
son Bay Company saw where moTey
was to be had from the enterprise and
energy OF others and left their unin,-
proved ground to increase in value
The gas and water pipes sewers.
street car tracks. electro wires, eject.
IA, were obliged. under great strain
and expense, TO stretch around the
compan's reserve. The Hudson Bay
Company got the bene fit and the city
bore the expense. Then the city had
the wit to decide that the company
ow ed them something for its benefits
She exempted her improvement tax
and laid all OF her realty assessment
on the capital value Of the land.
This equitable plan convinced the
that unless they would make
the land pay for it's taxes they had
better sell it to someone who could
and would make it earn It's own 1ivlrg.
Mr. Mock thinks that the const: u
tional restrictions on the taxing pow
ers Of the United States have resulted
in alternating the country's natural re-
sources into private property and o.
ierng persuasive inducements to spec
ulators. while in Alberta the convic-
tion that land is public property, by
used, seems to be firmly
o. Item.