East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-11-02
THE MERITS OF SINGLE TAX.
lRv w. s. uRenN

mers and other home owners, and to
producers generally where 1t is in
force, and ii will benefit the produc-
ing classes in oregon. Single tax has
not "confiscated any land or other
property where ii is in force, and It
will not confiscate the land or home
OF anyone in Oregon.
The railroads that run from Seat
tie to British Columbia are In single
tax territory as soon as they cross the
International boundary line: and from
the time they leave Whatcom county
Washington, until they get to Van
couver they are in single tax terri
tory. Between the Fraser River and
the International boundary line,
across from Whatcom county, is some
of the finest farming country on the
continent; and eight out of ten of all
the farmers in that territory are un-
der single tax.
More than two-thrds of the people
of British Columbia are under single
tax. The single tax cities of British
Columbia are Victoria, Oak Bay, Ma
naimo. Prince Rupert, Vancouver,
North Vancouver, South Vancouver,
Point Grey, Burnaby, New Westmin-
ster, Chilliwack City and Kamloops.
The land owners in those cities,
where most of the people are home
owners. are satisfied with single tax
and would not go back to the sys-
tenn of taxing personal property and
improvements.
The single tax farm communities
of British Columbia are Saanich.
Surrey, Langley, Matsqui Sumas,
Chilliwack (Which is not the same as
Chilliwack city,. Kent salmon Arm,
Merritt, Peachland. Summerlond. Kel-
owna and Penticton. In those COM
munities. which are called "mmiei-
palities," the farmers and other land
owners are satisfied with single tax
and would not consent to have their
personal property and Improvements
taxed.
| make these statements on the au-
thOrity of letters from the clerks, as-
SCISSORS and tax collectors of the nut
inequalities named above: and all the
letters We're written since Septem-
ber 20, 1912. Every municipality in
British Columbia has "home rule in
taxation" The country municipali-
ties are governed by municipal cOun-
ellis, just like the city municipalities.
A municipal council decides at the
beginning of each year whether or
not improvements will be taxed, but
it cannot tax personal property Of
any kind.
No one can vote in British Colum-
bia for a member of the municipal
council unless he is a land owner:
and consequently the land owners re-
ally control tax matters So the
home owners in a city and the farm
erS and other home owners in coun-
try municipality could abolish single
tax and have their Improvements
taxed by voting against candidates for
the municipal council who are in IA
vor Of taxing improvements.
The letters from the clerks and
other Officers Of British Columbia
are published in the
October number of the Single Tax
Broacher. Some of these municipal
tiles have had single tax as long as
twenty years. Not one of them has
ever changed from single tax to the
old system; but every year some
from the old system to the
single tax.
In those single tax communities in
British Columbia the assessments are
made as assessments would be made
In Oregon under the Graduated Single
Tax amendment. The farmers
cleared and cultivated land is assess
ed at the same rate per acre as his
uncleared land; and his uncleared
land Is assessed the same as the un-
cleared land Of the speculator. BY
looking at the assessment and tax fig
ures of British Columbia farmers and
other home owners in the single tax
municipalities, published in the octo-
her number Of the Single Tax Broach-
er you will see that the taxes are
much lower than In any county in
oregon;
WV Tlduudltu 'NilSlt IA tliiN''N
lhent is better than the British Co
lumbia system for two reasons. /.
The city and country municipalities
of British Columbia are not allowed
to tax railroads and other public SER
vice corporations on their franchises,
while under the Graduated Single Tax
amendment we will tax the public
fippy thair fro obi
es and rights of way. 2. our pro-
posed graduated tax on great land
values is better than the British CO.
lumbia system. Here is what the
Grain Growers Guide, which Is the
organ of more than 10000 farmers in
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
says Of our proposed Graduated
Single Tax amendment:
THE thought of taxing the Cana
dian Pacific Railway the Hudson's
Bay company and the other big land
owning companies Of Western Cana
da on a graduated scale of this kind
is enough to make ones mouth wa
ter, not only because Of the large
revenue that would be produced, but
also because OF tne llnHlehse dihouhl
| Of land now held by spectators which
would be made available for purchase
I by actual settlers at reasonable pri-
ces."
| The Grain Growers Guide, pub
llshed in Winnipeg, is a farmers pa
per owned by the grain growing
farmers. At the demand of the farm
ers and home owners, the govern
ment of Alberta passed a single tax
law last fall, and the farmers of Sas.
aro 10.