Why Pastoriza Built The Cabin

Unsigned

[An interview pubished in the Houston Chronicle, 23 October 1904. J.J. Pastoriza was at the time of this interview President of the Houston Single Tax League.]

In response to a question, Mr. Pastoriza said:

"You ask me why I built a log cabin in the center of the residence district of Houston, with a population of 70,000 people. The object I had in view was to call special attention to the single tax theory. I selected this particular spot because a company of which I was a member bought about 30 acres of land here and subdivided it into city lots, making from 300 to 400 per cent on its investment.

"If the single tax had been In operation, this increase in value would have been taken by the city in the form of taxes and used by it in paving the streets, extending the water mains and lighting the territory. As it is, we few individuals have pocketed the profits, but the streets are unpaved and the territory unlighted, and those who have bought the lots for residence property have not the advantage of city water, sewerage or lights.

BOYHOOD IDEAS

"When quite a young man I gave considerable thought to the social conditions of the country, and often wondered why it was that the man who did the hardest work secured for his use the least money. I saw that the farmers, who produced everything, retained very little of what they produced, while the middle man and speculator reaped a rich harvest. The single tax would remedy this, and be a greater benefit to the farmer than any other class of workers.

"Of course you know that single tax means to exempt every species of property from taxation except land values. At first sight the farmer would think that the burden of taxation would fall on him more heavily than on the city man, but if he will consider the subject he will find he is mistaken, because the greater land value Is In the city, and not in the country; therefore the bulk of the taxes would be gathered from the city lots.

FARMER CARRIES THE LOAD

"Government statistics show that 90 per cent of the land values are in the cities while the farmer, notwithstanding he has the larger quantity of land, has the least value.

"Under our present system of taxation we pay a tax on everything, the consumer or user in many instances paying a double tax. The workingman and the farmer now pay 90 per cent of the taxes, while under the single tax they would pay only 10 per cent. Under the single tax all the implements the farmer uses would be cheaper; fertilizer would be cheaper; clothing would be cheaper, and the land would be cheaper, because people who own large bodies of land and are not cultivating them, but holding them for speculative purposes, would be forced to cultivate them or sell them to some one who would.

"I wish to make it plain that the single tax is not to be desired by the land speculator nor by the farmer who does not farm his own land, but it is to be desired by the tenant farmer or the farmer who owns and works his farm."