The diamond drill., 1919-02-01

lionism has taken on new aspect
since the liberation OF Palestine and
the promise OF the British govern
ment that the land shall not be given
back to the Turks. Palestine Is in a
> sense new land. That is TO say. II
is undeyeloped In the modern sense.
and not densely populated. The com
mission that has charge OF the work
OF restoration will be confronted by
two problems: First. how to get hold
of the land. and second, how TO find
-the revenue to pay the enormous cost
" the reconstruction.
by applying the proven principles OF
political economy and taxing land val
ues, the repatriated people will hav,
access TO the land; and they will have
at the same time ample revenue 10
meet the cost OF government. The
men and women who will have charge
OF this work will avoid the mistakes
that have been made in this and 9th
er countries, where governments and
private enterprises have made inn
proyements for the public only to find
that the owners OF the land have
reaped the benefit while a large part
OF the cost has been laid upon pro-
ducers who have already been victim
lied by land spectators. There Is no
longer any doubt on the part OF in
formed people that government ser
vice, whether in maintaining order or
IN constructing physical improve
ments, enhances land values and not
labor values When, for instance. the
commission that supervises the re-
building of Palestine has constructed
railroads, opened schools, established
justice, and brought order out OF
chaos, II will be found that live stock,
grains, fruits and the various prod
ucts OF human labor will be worth no
more than before The quantity will
have increased, but not the value. The
land, however, being fixed in quanti-
~, will have increased in price
Here lies the opportunity for the
Jew TO demonstrate great truth to
the world by uniting the Mosaic prin-
ciple OF land ownership with Just
system OF taxation.
BY applying this system of taxing
the land values that are created by
the community il will not be neces-
sary TO tax labor values. This will
prevent any gain to landowners as
landowners. and so stop land specu-
lation--that curse that has strangled
economic growth in all other coun-
tries. 1t will at the same time free
industry from the tax burdens it has
hitherto borne and so stimulate labor
and capital to the highest degree in
the creation OF wealth.
The outlook for the rebuilding of
Palestine Is the brighter because the
ian0 and taxation questions have al
ready received much attention from
the Jews. The convention OF the
Zionist organization OF America, held
in Pittsburgh last June, adopted
program for Palestine which embodi-
ed the idea OF single-tax In the res
toration OF the land and development
of the Jewish Commonwealth for
which the Zionists are now engaged
in raising SS,OOO,OOO Is the second in
stallment Of the Palestine Restoration
Fund. Every effort viii be made to
exemplify the single-tax idea
DR.. stephen S Wise one OF the lead
ers OF the Zionist movement in Amer
ica, recently expressed the hope that
tho day was near when the ideal or
the single-taX in practice would be
realized in Palestine What a great
thing 1t would be, he wrote "if we
could II the ideal which goes back To
the Mosaic commonwealth. which was
revived by man Of prophetic gen
Jus, Henry George, and again by that
real man and Jew Joseph Fels, should
at last find fuihllment In the Jewish
land II was 70 this cause that Joseph
Fels dedicated himself aud his for
tune; and had his life been spared he
would today be bending all his ener-
| giles toward aiding the Zionists in re-
Nbuilding Palestine on a solid founda-
tion. Such men are represented on
the commission that undertakes this
great work.