The daily morning oasis., 1919-10-26
PROGRESS AND POVERTY"

IN A NUMBER of dissertations upon the marked
unrest extending throughout the country, tie
L almost if not quite irrecOncilable differences
between capital and labor, the rapidly growing
strained conditions manifested upon all sides; the
appalling increase in the cost of living, which seems
rising daily etc., etc., The Oasis has made mention
of what seems to the editorial mind one fruitful
cause of the immense increase in costs all along the
line that no other writer seems to have taken into
count - at least none that has come within our
ken and that is the great increase in valuation OF
real estate = = both rural and urban = = all
over the country, which must earn interest upon IN
creased Valuations doing which there is added cost
to every product of the SOIL the loom, the lathe,
whatever contributes to production and dstribu-
ton.
In developing this idea the editor has cited in
Stances and the past few weeks has given vivid H.
lustration of the point, in well known real estate
transactions right here in Nogales.
1t is not many years = in 1906 = since Mr..
Ellis sold what was and is known as the Ellis tract,
adjacent to the town of Nogales on the north, and
now part of the townsite. He got the land from
the United States, at nominal COST and was paid
S125 per acre. After passing through several
ownerships part of it was subdivided and lots
sold at $3.50 to $500 each. That was $3.50 to $500
per acre. About the same time the Herold sub
DIVISION closer in town. the hill leading up to the
Base Hospital and in the Walnut street canon, was
put upon the market with lots at S2OO each or IN
some cases, little more.
Last week~a remaining portion of the Ellis
tract, subdivided and put upon the market, finds
ready sale for choice lots at $500 and $500 per acre.
! and the poorest of them 60 for $500. That IS
$1,000 per acre for the cheapest lots, and $1,000
to $500 per acre for the choicest ones. Shortly
those lots will have put upon them dwellings and
residences. Now then, if they are rented they
will have to pay interest the value of the lot as
well as the cost of the structure. Ii the owners
live in them those costs are there just the same
Each owner has to earn more to live on $500 lot
than on one that costs but $500. And his house
has cost him more than the same house would have
cost to build when the lot cost but $500. And his
taxes are higher. Now, these enhancements in
the values of real estate have been going on all over
the country Hundreds of thousands of lots that
were worth only $40 to $40 an acre ten years. ago
are worth $500 acre now, compelled to wiring
out rent on those prices Hundreds OF thousands
acres of farm lands = yes millions of them that
could be bought for $40 to $40 per twenty years
ago are sold at $3.50 to $3.50 even more; and the
produce coming off from the land must earn in
terest (rent) on those prices In the last ten years
real estate values farm lands and city lots) have
increased in value by billions of dollars And those
billions must earn their rent.
In other countries, other generations, when
such conditions came about enhanced rents had to
come out from profits of operators, or out from
wages of labor - generally from both. And when
labor rebeled they raised armies to shoot it into
subsection.
At this time capital has combined to keep its
earnings (proft) as free as possible from en-
croachment by rent; and labor has combined tol
keep it's earnings (WageS) free from the same
encroachment And rent has advanced both
capital and labor have wrung from the people an
increase in wages and profits. Nothing can pre-
vent rent rising The pressure of population, with
the constantly increasing demand for land for