Seventy Years A Georgeist

Alexander G. Huie

[Reprinted from Land & Liberty, 1954]

I was already a Free Trader when, in 1889, I read Henry George's Progress and Poverty and learned how to free the land. The following year George came to Australia on a speaking tour but as I was then living in a remote country town, I did not hear him.

Four years later (1894) there was a State general election and I decided to contest the widely scattered Lachlan constituency. Travelling some 1,600 miles, mainly on one horse, I preached land-value taxation and free trade. But although I made an impression I was not elected.

On September 2, 1901, I attended a Henry George anniversary meeting in Sydney. As I had only recently moved to the city most of those present were personally unknown to me. Nevertheless, when it was proposed to form a new Sydney Single Tax League, somebody asked me to act as honorary secretary pro tem. I accepted and remained as Secretary for 52 years.

The League wanted to secure some practical results. Both political parties were then talking about the need for a new Local Government Act and so I arranged for a small deputation to wait on the newly appointed Leader of the Opposition, Hon. J. H. Carruthers. We asked that local rates should be imposed on land values. As his reply was favourable, we supported him and I did most of the literary work for his party. He won the General Election in 1904 and became Premier. Two years later his Local Government Act became law. This provided that the new Shires or rural councils should rate on land values only. The Act compelled existing municipalities to impose a rate on land values but left them free to propose an additional general rate on improved values. Therefore our next task was to get Councils elected that would put all rates on land values. For this purpose we formed a "Rating on Unimproved Values League," enlisting the support of many who were not Single Taxers. Mayors of suburban municipalities were asked to convene public meetings to consider the rating provisions of the new Act. In this way we got a good hearing at a nominal cost.

Most Councils were glad of the opportunity to rate land values only. A few proposed to put part of the rates on improved values. In such cases 100 ratepayers could demand a poll. We won them all.

For seven years in 1908 I was honorary secretary to the League. But I had to earn a living, usually in the building trade. As it was impossible to do justice to both, members at length subscribed a fund to open an office and pay me a small salary. It remained small.

The City of Sydney Council operated under its own Act. When it saw the success of rating on unimproved values in the suburbs it also wanted power to rate on land values. That was conceded in 1909. But there was a serious disability. They could put part of the rates on land values but the greater part remained on A.A.V. (i.e., the assessed annual value of land and buildings).

Rates on the A.A.V. were payable on the Government properties but not on land values. Alderman expressed sympathy but said that they could not afford to lose revenue from the Government properties. but not on land values. Aldermen expressed sympathy but said that they could not afford to lose revenue from the Government properties. It took us seven years to overcome that difficulty. Twice I was a candidate but without success.

At last we formed a Sydney Rating on Unimproved Values League with an ex-Lord Mayor as chairman. The League raised £100 for expenses. I got out many particulars about the way city properties were rated. Some of the aldermen tried to stop me but others stood by me and I got all I needed. The reactionaries were routed. The Lord Mayor and the Chairman of the Finance Committee were defeated.

Ald. Hon. R. D. Meagher, M.L.A., Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, became Lord Mayor for 1916. He went to the Premier, Hon. A. Holman and got the rating disability removed. Our opponents crumpled up and did not attend the Council meeting when the flat rate in the £ for 1916 was imposed on land values. But I was there.

My friends then thought that my work should be recognised. So they subscribed and entertained me at a Dinner at Adams' Hotel. The Lord Mayor presided. Of all the Labour Party men he was the best from our point of view. He was a man of great ability, strength and understanding. He called me a human dynamo.

On behalf of those present he presented me with an illuminated address and a purse of sovereigns. The address was signed by the Lord Mayor, ex-Lord Mayor G. T. Clarke, Ald. J. R. Firth, Mayor of Strathfield, Ald. Charles Savage, Mayor of Concord, Ald. L. W. Robinson, Mayor of Woollahra, with G. H. Longmuir and A. R. Easton as honorary secretaries. Here are the terms of the address. To A. G. HUJE, Esq.

Dear Sir,

On behalf of a large number of friends and Citizens of Sydney we wish to acknowledge the sterling services you have rendered to our city as Secretary of the Unimproved Land Values Rating League and to congratulate you on the success of your efiorts which combined with those of other enthusiastic workers have resulted in the municipal rating being bated for the first time in the history of the City on Land Values only.

Your devoted, untiring and persistent work in the face of determined opposition has undoubtedly been one of the foremost factors in achieving this reform, and we desire to place on record our recognition of this fact and to ask your acceptance of this address and accompanying purse of sovereigns as a slight expression of our esteem and appreciation."

Because of space limitations I have had to omit much. It is hopelessly impossible to do justice to the following 42 years. Here are a few milestones:

1. When the Local Government Act was passed into law in 1916 Councils could use a Government Valuation or make their own. The need for a public State Valuation of land became evident. I organised a deputation to the Hon. Arthur Griffith, M.L.A., the then Minister for Local Government, to put our point of view. I submitted a statement to the Minister upon this question.

2. Great efforts were made to secure rating on land values for water supply and sewerage in the Sydney and Newcastle water areas from 1916. It has been a plank of the Labour Party's platform for over 50 years. But no Labour Premier would stand up to the Water Board officialdom. Many petitions were presented to Parliament. Many thousands of propaganda leaflets were circulated. A great many meetings were addressed, usually favourable. Here is one where I struck opposition. Upon requisition by local ratepayers Canterbury Council convened a public meeting in the Town Hall. It invited me and our arch opponent, the late Ald. Sir Thomas Henley, M.L.A., to attend and speak. I was there. Henley did not come. I could never get him to face me. The Burwood Council in his electorate invited us to debate the question publicly. I accepted, he refused. The Mayor and Town Clerk objected to my speaking as I was not a ratepayer. After some argument the meeting voted me 20 minutes. It was twice extended. Then I answered questions, broke down all opposition and the motion in favour of rating land values was carried on the voices.

3. From 1910 to 1936 I went on many speaking tours in the country, travelling at first by train, and from 1926 in the car given to me by Mr. Daking Smith. On the first tour indoor meetings were arranged. I found that I could get a better audience at less trouble and expense in the main street of a town or at a good corner. The 1926 tour was done in four sections in the latter part of the month from January to April inclusive. I addressed meetings in 46 country towns, supplied reports to local papers, got new and renewed Standard subscriptions, sold literature etc.

4. My letters, articles and reports t a newspapers. Thousands of them. Over 40 years ago the Sydney Daily Telegraph called me " the champion long distance letter writer of Australia."

5. Support of Electoral Justice (proportional representation) which would enable Georgeists to be elected as Members of Parliament on their own policy.

6. Editing and managing The Standard often involving considerable research and much nightwork. For most of the time 16 pages. The Henry George Centenary number 40 pages.

7. Financing the League and The Standard. We had a succession of honorary treasurers but I had to collect, scheme and contrive to get the money in.

8. Twelve times I was candidate at elections. It is a great means for putting our proposals before the people. Three times I would have been elected if only I had had a little luck.

In July, 1953, I realised that the time to retire was at hand. So I announced at the Henry George Anniversary gathering in September that I would retire at the end of the year. I put the office in order as well as I could, paid all accounts to 31.12.53, got a clearance from the hon. auditor, and retired.

But I have continued writing letters to newspapers. Since January 1, 1954, I have had over 550 letters in a great variety of newspapers. Subjects: "Land" and "Land Values," "Taxation," "Local Rating," "Tariffs," "Trade," "Electoral Questions." Opposition to the superstitions of "Protection " and "Socialism " and to the fallacies of " Social Credit."