The Penn's Grove record., 1913-08-15
Progressive Political Ideas

Edmund Osborne, of Montciair, a can
didate for the Progressive nomination for
governor, spoke in Penns Grove Thurs
day night. The other candidate is for
mer Senator Everett Colby, of Essex
county, who became All llsurgent in the
Legislature nine years ago. While Mr..
Colby was one of the first to iusurge
against the acts OF the Republican party
he has ceased to be a crusader and now
stands on a platform which many demo
Gratis and republicans have espoused.
Mr.. Osborne has taken up the prin-
ciples where Mr.. Colby and others have
lett off and is a crusader to carry the Cos
pei of political progress still further, but
no further than has been tried out i'll
some other localities.
The most striking expression in Mr..
Osborne's address was sit is a greater
crime to build a chicken coop IN New
Jersey than to rob one"
If elected Governor he will abolish the
penalty on enterprise and put a
premium on it. His Chicken
coop" statement was prompted by an
advertisement received from a Vancou-
yer, Canada, trust company which
points out the benefits that have come to
Vancouver thru the exemption from tax
alton OF buildings and personal property.
Mr.. Osborne said:
Western Canada is claimed to be the
most prosperous country OH earth. The
growth OF Vancouver, Victoria, Edmon-
ton and other cities i'll the Canadian
Northwest is phenomenal, They want
people to erect buildings and make i'm
proyements. | have recently seen a Gil
cular sent out by a great trust company
in Victoria, soliciting deposits from III
VestoTs i'll the United States. This trust
company says, i'll accounting for the
! wonderful prosperity of western Canada:
"Ilere it is lie longer a greater crime to
build a chicken house than to rob one,
as it is i'll every county of every one OF
the United States.
"Men are not punished for building
houses, stores or factories or for raising
crops or cows. Homes, factories, cattle
and all personal property are exempt, and
taxes are levied on land values and nat
ural resources.
This tends to prevent monopoly and
to increase wages, profits and interest,""
! propose to the workers OF New jersey
a definite remedy for the high cost of
living. Ii we will pass a law permitting
municipalities to abolish taxes on build
ings and personal property, as they have
done III western Canada, we will definite
~ reduce the living cost of every body.
The taxes on unused land will be so high
that men who hold land ont of use will
lose money instead OF making money;
they will be obliged either to build on
the land or to sell it to some one who
will. The landlord will give the tenant
the benefit of the reduction in taxes,
because the competition of heW buildings
will compel him to do so, If taxes on
buildings and personal property are
abolished, the average enter will save
the price OF a months rent each year.
George L. Record, of Jersey, City, who
has been the most aggressive thinker and
speaker in New jersey for the past TWEEN
ty years, and the greatest crusader in for
wardiug progressive political principles
and Legislation, spoke for more than an
hour on what he considered the political
ills of the day. They were excessive cost
of goods thru the tariff, internal revenue
taxes and percentages thereon; excessive
capitalization of railroads, telegraph and
telephone companies. and municipal util-
tiles run for profit; the tax on enterprises
such as buildings and Improvements, in
stead OF on land values only. The para
mount principle advocated was single tax
SIS first promulgated by Henry George.