Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-23
LOWER HOME RENTS AND TAXES
URGED AS UNEMPLOYMENT
MEASURE.
SOCIETY SENDS LETTER
TO SECRETARY WILSON
Would Have State Officials Meet and
Arrange "Untaxing" Of Labor and
Labor's Produets-Less Than 10 Per
Cent Own the Land in American
( Cities.
Especial Correspondence


Washington, July 23.-The society to
lower rents and reduce taxes on homes,
800 Broadway. N. Y, thru it's presi-
| dent, Frederic C. Leubuscher, and its
executive secretary. Benjamin c.
Wash, has addressed a letter to Secre-
tary of Labor Wilson and to the men,
; bers of the congress of the state labor
commissioners at San Francisco, in
which it is urged that the problem of
unemployment be dealt with basically
and fundamentally by the taxation OF
land values and the relieving from tax
alton of labor and the products OF
labor.
The letter is attracting notice here
because in part it is addressed to Sec
rotary Wilson and because it deals with
the subject OF purchase of land by the
federal government for the agricultural
laborers, 1t says that from the ex-
perience Of other countries 1t Is plain
this plan cannot be Of any permanent
value and will help the land specu-
lators.
The meeting at San Francisco is a
gathering of state officials and the So
ciety to lower rents and reduce taxes
on homes urges that inasmuch as the
taxation of land values and the untax-
ing of labor and it's products is state
and not a federal function it is most
appropriate that a congress of state
officials should consider the subject
and recommend this vital change
Your experience has amply shown
YOU" proceeds the letter, that the ur-
gent need is not more labor exchanges
important as these may be-but more
jobs. Your judgment has doubtless
firmly convinced you that taxing land
into full and productive Use is the only
effective way of getting more jobs.
New York City has suffered from
unemployment seriously and continu-
ously. From our own tragic exper-
fence, we urge the members of the con-
gress of labor commissioners to devote
their best thought to terminating un-
employment by terminating the funda-
mental cause Of unemployment.
The society emphasizes the "follies
of private charity and the stupidity OF
superficial public action in consider
ing the growing problem Of unemploy-
ment
THE startling revelations Of the fed
eral commission on Industrial rela-
TONS" the letter states. regarding
conditions among the tenant farmers
of the middle west emphasize the too
patent fact that with existing monopoly
OF iron, coal. farm. urban. timber and
all lands Of the country, Unemployment
must be prevalent. and with the crush
ing burden Of taxation upon the work
ers as means of maintaining such
land monopoly. poverty must be rife"
Among other things. it is pointed out
that the secretary of agriculture shows
that only per cent of the arabic farm
land of the country is in holdings Of
nineteen acres or less, while almost
exactly one-fifth Of this land-that is.
the arabic land of the country-is held
in tracts of 1000 to several million
acres.
In the lumber industry, 1t is men
toned that the bureau of corporations
says 1894 timber owners hold in fee
over one twentieth of the land area of
the United States from the Canadian
to the Mexican border and sixteen
holders own 47,80O,0O0 acres or nearly
ten times the land area Of New Jersey.
Other data given sets forth the con-
centration in the ownership of iron
ores, OF coal, of oil fields, Of land gen.
orally. The letter quotes from the SEN
ate commission on agricultural credit
as follows:
Under these conditions-rising land
values and cumulative taxation-the
land is slowly but surely passing from