Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-12

| by taking the earnings of other people. as
he now does.
The land Spectator reaps but he does
not SOW. Originally the land on which
Newark rests was worth absolutely moth
| ing. Since the first settler came the
people who have lived here have created
900, 900, which they have given outright to
the privileged few, who have held the
title to the land, and who. did no more
to create the value of the land than the
other people of the community. The high
cost of living in Newark now includes
interest on these values which the people
The people of Newark pay four or Ave
million dollars more for 1.-THE high cost
of living" than they would pay IL they
had never permitted private individuals
to appropriate these land values created
by the community.
If we abolish taxes on buildings and
personal property the tax rate on land
| will be so high that 1t will absorb the
annual increase in value of the average
land and thus the community will begin
at once to keep for itself this increase
in value which 1t creates, and will event.
ually recover the land values which it
has created and which the present sys-
tenn has permitted individuals to appro-
pirate. This would save millions of dol
living to the people of Newark and pro-
portionately to the people of every other
{ municipality. Not only will this policy
reduce the cost of living by reducing
opportunities for labor. 1t will bring
into use vast areas of Idle land now
held for speculation, and make 1t much
easier to- get land for homes or farms
are now compelled to work in factories
and mills chance to easily get land
and live in the country instead of in the
slums. This will reduce the pressure
Of competition for Jobs in mills and fac
tories and increase wages. and the idle
land forced into use will again reduce
the cost of living by increasing food pro-
duction.
Would Break Monopoly.
This policy applied throughout this
natural resources so high that it would
break the monopolistic power of every
trust which now controls prices of neces-
sites BY the he control Of natural resources
Trust. the Steel Trust the Timber Trust
and all similar trusts.
If this tax. reform is adopted in New
Jersey it will end one Of. the greatest
privileges and stop the biggest of the
something for nothing games that
steadily add to the. high cost of living.
public ownership of utilities and exemp-
ton of buildings and personal property
from taxation, had been in operation in
this country for the last fifty wears they
of the huge unearned fortunes that have
been taken by the few from the earnings
or the many.
do not propose to make It compulsory
for any municipality to abolish taxes on
buildings and personal property. but to
pass a law which will allow them to do
so whenever majority desires. This is
simply home rule applied to taxation.
Mr.. Colby is opposed to such a law.
He recognizes the "evil of land monop-
oly'' in his platform; he admits the land
speculator has done nothing to create"
the profit he takes on increased values,
but that sit was created by the combined
efforts of all the people. Nevertheless,
he proposes to continue to allow the land
speculator to take nearly all the increase
In value which the community creates. |
His remedy for the evils of land monop-
oily is to gradually reduce the tax rate on
buildings till it is one-half the rate on
land. If that had been done In 1912 the |
taxes on land In Newark would have been
increased only So cents per 800. His plan |
would merely annoy the land Spectator.
while my plan of abolishing all taxes on
buildings and personal property would
have increased the land tax In Newark
$345 per 500 and made land speculation !
unproftable Mr.. Colbys plan would not |
give appreciate relief, either. in reducing |
rents or stopping the annual appropria- |
ton by landowners of the millions of in
creased land values created by the people |
in this State.
Mr.. Colby and I both say we favor |
is just language. When we say what |
we mean by home rule you will see
we mean very different things. mean
that every municipality shall be free to
conduct Its business as 1t pleases, sub
ject only to the Statewide moral laws,
and that includes the right to change !
its charter without consulting the Legis.
lature. Mr.. Colby doesn't mean that kind
of "home rule;" he means the kind that
will allow them to do anything he isn't
to. He is not willing to permit a
TO own and operate Its utili,,
ties. He insists in trying regulation"
further: I say let the community, and not
Mr.. Colby decide whether they want to
try regulation" any further or not.
don't want. to compel any, munici,
pass home rule" law, giving them
the power to do so whenever majority
such a law. favor genuine, popular
government, the rule of the majority. /
propose to add to the tools we already
have for majority rule in New Jersey
dicial decisions and the recall of cleo
tive officials Mr.. Colby, after weeks of
delay in replying to my question, now
says he is for the initiative and refer
endum and the recall of judicial de-
In his platform he says distinctly, in
advocating the short ballot: ut would
do much to check the demand for the
says that he has now no fear" Of the
initiative and referendum. and finally re-
fers to the initiative and referendum as
ment, which. he says, he prefers pr to
another greater danger. When would
We ever get the initiative and referen-
dunn In New Jersey, If we depended on
Of advocacy? Mr.. Colby fatty opposes
the recall of elective officials, although
this Is part of the platform of the
New son Jersey ssy Progressive party. His rea-
might recall an official unjustly.
whether they use the recall wisely or
not is the peoples business and nobody
recall because he reasons from the stand
point of the official. just as he opposes
public ownership because he reasons from
the standpoint. of the investor. The re-
possibly have for correcting mistakes
they make. In selecting officials.
In my platform | declare for a consti-
tutional convention with delegates elected
by districts according to population. In |
order to correct the rotten borough Sem
atorial system by which 10000 people in
Zane MAY County 5 haze Eo the same power
! have repeatedly asked Mr.. Colby to tell |
the voters where he stands on this ques-
ton, but he has made no public answer.
the power to issue injunctions in strike |
cases. because that enables the courts to |
punish as crimes acts which the statutes
do not now forbid, and because it is |
mere pretext by which the courts, with |
out warrant of law, interfere In quarrels |
between labor and capital to aid the side |
of capital. Employers have no property |
right In labor, and the criminal law Is |
ample for the proper protection of all
their actual property. Mr.. Colby pro-
poses to leave this power in the hands of
the courts.
This Is not personal contest between
me and Mr.. Colby. 1t Is a contest to |
determine whether the Progressive party |
shall be a radical party, dedicated to the |
service of the people by warning against |
privilege of every kind, or whether 1t
shall be a conservative party. like the
Republican and Democratic parties, leav-
ing the great privileged interests free to