Henry George and Private Property in Land

S. Parkes Cadman

[Reprinted from Land and Freedom, January-February 1928]

WE have had occasion to comment adversely, perhaps too harshly, on Dr. Cadman's answers to Single Tax inquiries. We wish now to commend him for his admirable reply to the following inquiry from Winston- Salem, N. C.

Mr. Cadman:

Will you not briefly state for the benefit of many who do not understand them the fundamental principles of the single tax theory and why it is so hated?

To this Dr. Cadman replies as follows:

Its author, the late Henry George, proposed to abolish all taxes save one levied on the value of land, which he named the Single Tax. It was not to be a tax on real estate nor on all land, but only on land having a value irrespective of its improvements, and one levied in proportion to that value.

The basis of this proposal may be condensed as follows: The land of every country belongs of right to all the people of that country, nor can it be alienated by one generation so as to affect the title of the next, any more than men can sell their yet unborn children for slaves.

Private ownership of land is no more legitimate in morality or reason than private ownership of air or sunlight. But private occupancy and use of land is right and indispensable. Since it is impossible to divide land into equal shares, it should be divided into parcels convenient for private use among those who are willing to pay the highest price for the use of each parcel.

This price is now paid periodically to some owners and is called rent. By applying the rent of land, exclusive of all improvements to the equal benefit of the whole community absolute justice would be done to all.

The idea of thus concentrating all taxes upon ground has secured many disciples in Great Britain, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Mr. George was a really great American, and, although a private citizen, he exercised a marked influence upon the political and economic thought of his day.

I advise you to read his life, written by his son, and also Shearman's Natural Taxation, for a discussion in detail of the Single Tax theory.