Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-10
Land is Gift OF
GOD JUST like
The SUNSHINE
W. F. Baxter at Unitarian
Church Says Capital Is
a Servant lust
Like Labor.

The pulpit Of the First Unitarian
church was occupied by William F.
Baxter, one of the laymen, Sunday
morning with "Thy Kingdom Come"
for his topic. Mr.. Baxter said:
We believe that prayers are answered
through the operation of what we call
natural laws. II our automobile should
stop in the road it would be foolish to
kneel down in the mud and pray to some
unseen power TO move 1t. We know that
we must seek the break In some mechani.
cal law. This can be done with no loss
of reverence, Indeed the inviolibility Of
the law increases our respect. There is an
economic law invloiable as the law Of me-
chanics.
our ideas Of Heaven may vary, but
all will agree that It Is Gods idea Of the
ultimate social relation. Unless we are
ready to attempt to secure the application
here and now Of the rules Of conduct
(laws) that we believe to be in force there
we should discontinue the use Of this
prayer
The strongest word in all language to
my mind IL honesty and honesty to our
ideals and belief is most OF all important
Goes Back To Land.
Laws should represent the highest ethi-
cal conception.
1t is upon the fact that land is the
mic system that II is the basis Of all
wealth; that Its use by every individual
is the only absolute economic necessity
that believe In focusing thought upon 1t
to find the break In the economic law
which causes the unjust functioning Of
our machinery Of wealth distribution. If
we are wrong at the source our whole
structure will be faulty.
Let me state my proposition clearly
believe that the private possession
through land ownership Of all the value
that civilized society and human exertion
and enterprise gives to land IL unjust,
unethical and undemoeratic; that It vio-
lates the clear statement Of the Lords
Prayer and the inaiienable right to life
and liberty Of the Declaration OF Indepen-
dence. .-
Why Hold the Land9
The receiver of land value gives no
service to society and yet iE allowed by
all industrial activity. We say he holds
the land. Well, why hold It. Is it going
to get away? It would be much more
sensible to devote a part of this fund to
the Child's Saving Institute to be expend-
ed for holding babies. I personally have
had experiences in holding land. The
only exertion involved was the mental
strain Of deciding periodically whether
to sell now or wait and get more.
Land is the gift OF God like the sun
shine to all mankind. Government should
secure private possession of clearly de-
scribed parcels but the value accrulng to
them by social development and public
activity should be taken for public use.
To do this we would use the present
system Of taxation. We already tax land
value moderately so that our fiscul septem
be not violently disturbed. We would
gradually increase this tax at the same
time, eliminating taxes on labor products
until all taxes rested on land value, except
OF course, in great emergencies like the
late or present war.
Land value is half the wealth Of the
country. This half tolls nor neither does
IL spin and yet by law 1t levies a tax
upon all who labor to produce the other
half Of the wealth.
Capital is no enemy, It Is a seravnt, like
labor. Absolutely harmless and most use
full. 1t Is evil only when you join 1t to
monopoly by law.