El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-31
SINGLE TAX
AS BUILDER
Of CITIES
Vancouver, B. c., Mayor
Tells of the Wonders It
Has Wrought There.
NO TAX ON THE
IMPROVEMENTS

Kansas City, Mo-, Aug. 3L-That the
single tax systematic taxation of land
values instead Of the improvements
has made this city grow faster than
anything else, is the declaration of l.
D. Taylor, the man who put the single
tax into effect in Vancouver, B. c.
How Vancouver has grown In a
short time from a sparsely settled
western town to a city where there IS
not a vacant lot in the downtown DIS
trict as a result OF the adoption Of lie
single tax, is told by Mr.. Taylor, whose
term as mayor of Vancouver expired
last December. Mr.. Taylor was elected
to his office on a single tax platform
He is a delegate to the Moose conven-
tion.
eve have realized in Vancouver that
taxation, like everything else, Is a mat
ter of evolution" said Nj Taylor.
Accordingly, we have gone ABOUT Ut
changing the system gradually In
1895 we exempted so percent of i'm
provements from taxation. In 1900 an
other Is percent was exempted. AFTER
my election as mayor IN 1910 We MADE
a full exemption of Improvements The
council of u members was equally for
and against the full exemption, and
my vote decided the issue. The next
10 members were for it, while the year
following it passed unanimously.
Some Figures InuI Iaih-
"a few figures will show the effect
Of the exemption on the city Two
years before we exempted so percent
of improvements the amount of in
crease in improvements was percent
The five years Of the so percent ex-
emption the increase rose to Is per-
cent. During the five year period OF
the IS percent exemption the increase
was IS percent. After all improve
ments had been exempted the increase
of improvements rose to So percent.
As a result there is not a vacant lot
in the whole business district After
our total exemption the value repre-
scented by building permits rose from
seven million to thirteen million dol
lars. In 1904 it increased to Is mil
lions, and this year indications are
that it will reach 20 million dollars
This is of course, q municipal tax
But the provincial government is plan
ming to enact a tax law wholly on land
and natural resources. Eeventy eight
percent of the city's revenue comes
comes from earnings from street rent
ais to the street railway, city WharYes,
liquor licenses, etc
I'VE have not yet been forced to in
crease the rate. We are not even now
taxing the full value of the land But
we are increasing the assessment each
year to reach the full value, until
finally we intend to have sufficient
revenue to create sinking Iuno
a gainst all bonde2 indebtedness
lAnOther Excellent Example.
I'VE go On the theory that no man
should be fined for what he creates
The old system % taxation does that
We tax only the common gifts of Prov
idence. land and natural resources that
have been put here for the use of all,
and for the privilege Of using exclu-
siveIy the user should pay the rest OF
the community The exemption OF IN
dustries, stocks and bonds does not lay
the tax Guequaly on anyone. The
owner Of stocks and bonds 1t will be
found, has his wealth based funda-
mentally on natural resources, which
are being taxed. Only the evidence OF
accumulated wealth goes free; its basis
is taxed.
The best example %: the working Of
the single tax, according to Mr.. Tay-
lor. is KelcWna, British Columbia,
farming community y miles square
The district is lighted throughout with
arc lights. has water mains and
board walks. School children are
transported to and from school The
total revenue to defray these commun-
ity expenses comes from the land tax
Victoria and other COM
ynunities are adopting the same sys-
TEN CT taxation
Mr.. Taylor shows by his appearance
that he is by no means a dreamer, but
D plain business InaH. who measures
any plan by the standard of its
efficacy