Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-15
CITY COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
No. II.-EREDI:ItIC j HASkIN
avs Best Cartoons.

tncnt Fairhope might have becon. a
great city and striking example I,
All tha world. For tho plan worked
anu is working yet: only tho spion
did aarbor aud the rich lands failed
10 bfing the material greatness which
'hcE seemed to promise. 1t was tho
ciltlate that won the battle for Eair
nope Set on plateau above IN.
water. the town Is .wcpt H., a.,
hrcczcs All summer and yet is remark.
ABLY ihild in the winter. /. has be-
come :. combination winter and sum
ner resort, and as such IL NAV ~,
attain greatness and fame
Esncn>cs Met hy Rent.
To-Day Fairhope is AN iur.rnor,,oa
'"wn or the state OF Alabama. win ,
population OF 1000. II owua BID
'tcr"S ~ land worth about $50 nOo .l,,,o
rehtni which X charges for it4 Land
/ IS adjusted so tina, III. income LII
just meet the ntnicip,l cxr,,,so
present lots JoN2oO .ect rcnt Jnr ,an
= !caF' ana a similar lot jtis, ,ut.,,ic
~ IN. cii% is worth $500. So vou ..n
'h't 'he fafhope Association
'S"'tf saves money for its members
The fairhopc peopl. arc nr.t,5 =. 49,
success Of their venture ana ar. Ill
Ways willing 10 try anythin,. ,.c,, :,
w" WAY OF cooperative" or coulfrupf,
'h''rli'sc. NJ one /timc thry had !,
cooperative store hut II was r,yr,.
up. after fair trial. because ~ tbn,
Tune the CONSUMPTION or tn. ,.ur.nt,,i,,.
ala not justify il, Later ,bov IN.
tHrcd np"n the sim more soci1li.,,.
project 81 = community dlninc-,..,,
supported hy all the people aud ,.h.,.
IN INC people were to dine Ike ouo
nlS '"lnilE- IN" "Npcrimcnt did no,
! work II was chiefly interesting ,r
demonstration OF tn. fact tina, 1, l.
( nara Tor more than one family to liyo
under one roo.
fairhop" has built an cNCcllcn, u.tor
"oFhs "' ITS own. and for Il time 4, ran
us own telephone Syst"In although ,hEs
VAS hnaily sold 10 q large COMPANY
tn" citS's browning business achieve
mcni. however. il its municipal wb.rf
ana railway. III" town il situated
nftN or SIXTY feet above tho water ANA
! rs only connection with Mobile and tho
rest OF the worll is by boat Ia order
o "Ar"oi'" It's shipments. a wharf va,
NUM- on tho hai, aud n railroad. ou
which gasoline cars arc opcratcd $50
huiit from the water from, to tho cen
ter or III" town. This system has not
"hiS boosted business in tho ci,y but
has been paving property in Itself
~ 'hr carly days no one seemed 10
recognize thar fairhopc WAS on tho
map. and IL was hard L. induce a boat
I" stop there II all. With character
isiic enterprise. the Fairhopn pcorls
bought i vessel II their own and 90
tahlishcd service between their town
and Mobile. When tho vessel was do
sir"ycd hy drc = fcw years later tho"
had so thoroughly demonstrated tho
value Of their trade tina, n private
lin" was glad OF the opportunity -
render tho service
Ono Hitch In pinn.
There has hccn just ono sericu-
hitch in tho working OF tho Singie-,a,
theory in Fairhope. aud that is duo to
tho unfortunate detail that tho stat"
OF Alabama rs a whole is not operated
on tho same principle. For tho state
law requires that tax must lie paid
on all properties, such as buildings.
furniture. etc. Fairhope gets around
this difficulty ny paving these taxes
out OF the land rents collected from
tho citizens. Now, this is tho difficulty:
Suppose that Mr.. Roe and Mr.. Doe
arc each renting lot al $50 n year
Mr.. Roc is prosperous and builds =
sln,oon house or his lot. hut Mr.. Doc
is poor and has: only a shack worth
n few hundred. Both are paying the
same amount toward the state property
tax. but Mr.. Roc holds most Of the
property. In effect, poor Mr. Doc ia
paving rich Mr.. Rocs taxes Some or
the Mr.. Docs become so excited about
this state or affairs that they brought
suit To dissolve tho colony They lost
tho case But this incident proves tina;
tho ancient quarrel between those VIII"
have and those who haven't is art 10
arise even among id"alists.
Despite this little dscord in tho pre-
vaiiinG harmony. tho Fairhopc export
mcut may cmphatically he said to have
worked. 1t has demonstrated tho prac-
ticahility Of the sinrlc-iaX theory on
q small scale 1T least SO Jumping
.Iim's' Utopia was not visionary
after all.