13
SINGLE TAX PLAN
MODERN EAST SIDE FLAT COMPLETED.
IS DESTRUCTIVE
Fallacies of Propaganda Are
Exploited in Address Be
fore Realty Board.
GRAVE PROBLEMS LOOM
Chnrk II. Shield Makes Urgent
rie to Buncss Men to Wag
Fight Against System Devel
opment of State at Stake.
In an address on "Social Progress
and Division of Labor" before the
Portland Realty Board. Friday. Charles
H. Shields, secretary of the Oregon
Equal Taxation League, pointed out the
fallacies of the single-tax propaganda
and urged members of the Board to ex
ert their Influence to defeat the pro
posed system.
Mr. Shields reminded the realty men
and property owners and taxpayers
that they were all legislators under the
Oregon svstem and that It was their
duty to enact only such legislation as
Is constructive and helpful not only to
this state, but to the entire Union.
-The people of Oregon today are con
fronted with a problem which in my
judgment Is of a very grave nature,
said Mr. Shields. The way has been
prepared for the Introduction of a
measure that contemplates the dis
memberment from the social body of
one of the vital organs of Its system.
This proposed legislation, commonly
called single tax. contemplates the de
struction of a principle that Is followed
and maintained by all of the enlight
ened nations of the world that of pri
vate ownership of land. As legislators
you have to pass on the merits of such
a svstem.
"In doing so you have no precedent
to guide you. You have nothing from
which to "draw Information or inspira
tion. You must therefore rely upon
the process of analysis. You are con
fronted with a problem that has taxed
the greatest thinkers of the age. You
are going to be asked to introduce a
system that has for Its ultimate end
the abolishment of private property in
land.- It is an experiment yet untried.
It Is a theorv that Is universally con
aemned by the great economists who
have expressed themselves upon the
subject. The author of this system was
llehry Oeorge.
c:nv llanllau Ralae.
-I presume the first thought that
comes to your mind Is. noes single tax
mean the destruction and abolition of
private property in land? rwea Its au
thor claim that the operation of his
system would bring about the restor
ation of the land to the state? And
further, if such a claim la made, will
the analysis of Its process prove such
to be true? Furthermore. If true,
would such a system of land tenure
serve to promote the best Interests of
man better than the system of private
ownership of land, which we now en
Joy? "As to the flrst question, whether or
not the author claims that private
property In land will be abolished un
der the single-tax system. I quote you
from Trogress and Poverty at page
401. the following:
w hare velchM verr objection and seen
that neither on the arnund of eeultr or
pdlnrjr Is th-r anything to dier nm from
maklrr land common property by cmSwl
In rent.
Fat a qaeatiea of method remains. How
shall r It?
We hojt.l satisfy the law of Justice. we
shou'd m-t all economic requirements by at
one stroke aroMhinc all private titles, de
claring all land pul.lle property and letting
It out to the h!h.-t bidders In lots to suit
and und-r iD-h conditions as would sacredly
suanl the private rlht to Improvements.
"In speaking further on this subject
he says at page 403:
We already take some rent In taxation.
W. have only to make pome changes In our
mode of taxation to take It all. ... In
this way the state may become tha universal
lsndlord without railing herself so and with
out aajnjmlna a stngi new function. In
form, the ownership of land would remain
Just at now. No owner of land need be dts
possessed and no restrictions need be placed
upon the amount of land any one could hold,
for rent. beln taki-n hv the state In taxes,
land. 1.0 matter In w hoso nam It stood or In
what parcels It was held, wouid be really
common property, and everr member cf tha
community would rartlclpata In tha advan
taxes of Its ownership.
"This quotation . should be sufficient
to satisfy you that the Intention at
least of the author were to have the
land revert to the state by the process
of single tax. That you my not be
misled, however. I will now quote you
what I consider the summing up of his
entire scheme the milk In the cocoa
nut. If you please. On page 40J of
progress and Poverty he says:
I do not propose either to purchase or to
confiscate private property In land. The
first would be unjust, the second needless.
I,et the indlvlduala who now hold It still
rt'taln. If they want to. possession of what
ti-y are pleased to call their land. Let
them continue to call It their land. L-t
them continue to buy and sell, and bequeath
and tleviee it. We may safely leave them
the shell If wa tsite the kernel. It la not
necessary to confiscate the land; It la only
necessary to confiscate tha rent.
Real Coaflscattoa Dewtrwetlve.
"This last quotation Is the most Im
portant of all. The confiscation of the
rent is the kernel In the nut. When
you remove the kernel, there Is no
value left- When you have removed
the value by a. process of land rent,
even though on may hold the title or
the shell, the state virtually owns the
land. When we speak of private own
ership of land, we treat It as property
having- In It private rights; that these
private rights have value to them: that
tiiese values may be transferred for
other classes of property or for money,
the medium of exchange. When the
earning value of the land, which would
be the rent, was confiscated by the
atate. there could be no selling value
left.
"Ivestm"nts are made for but one
purpose possibly two: (1) Tha return
In some manner for the money so In
vested: 2 For the Increase In the
value of the article or thing so pur
rhae.l. together with a consideration
for the risk thus taken, which to a
more or less degree is found In every
Investment. It should, therefore, be
plain to you gentlemen that the first
proposition, that of the claim of the
author of the process, cannot be ques
tioned. "The second one. that of analysis,
demonstrates beyond a question that
there cannot be any private value ".eft
In land under the full application of
"single tax.
"You are therefore confronted with
the problem: Will It be best for the
people of Oregon to adopt a system of
land tenure, of land communism, of
land socialism? Or. would It be best
for Oregon to continue on the present
system, one that harmonises with the
advance of agriculture, moral, social
and Intellectual progresa?
Private Ownership Eaaeatlal.
"Private ownership of land has gone
band In hand with the progress of
man. I hold that the fundamental prin
ciple on which single tax is based la
Dot sound: that the best uses of land
and tha beat Interests of society may
-Ills ta,:iiiiZ3f.HL IL,:WUIT
I 'i Tl t serv, - - :
22&asw
, BllLDnC ERECTED O.V HtWTHOR.VE AVEXIE FOR C. C. KIC
. . K..ue hv r.nrV TrinF at Fast Fortv-slxth street and Hawthorne avenue, 1
oit of the most attractive structures or trie Kind in me iiawmorne
flata of three rooms each and two flats of five rooms each,
Including built-in-bins, china closets and sleeping porches.
The building throughout Is of a substantial finish. It
distri-t. The building contains two
The flats are equipped with all conveniences.
Each flat has separate basement and lurnace.
was built at a cost or siv.uuu.
be had by the private ownership of the
soil. I hold that all property should
be treated alike; that land is no more
essential to man'a well being than
many other factors which go to make
for the advancement of society.
"In the early divisions of labor, the
fisherman said to the man who ceuld
build the boat. Tou build the boat and
gill do the fishing: and to the tnira
one. Tou make tne nows ana
with which to shoot the game and we
will do the bunting': and to the fourth
one. "You till the soil while we hunt
and fish and build the boats," and.
finally, to the fifth. 'You build the rude
Instrument with which to till the soil";
and to the alxtli, 'You make the harness
that goes on the horse or the yoke that
goes on the ox with which to pull the
plow that tills the soil"; and to an
other. "You tan the skins with which
to make the shoes and tho leather to
make the harness.
"And so on. step by step, man oegan
to emerge from a primitive lana ani
mal to a combination creature, social
as well as a land animal. And so on
with the division of labor and the
growth of Intelligence man has prog
ressed. As society has progressed, the
greater divisions of labor became nec
essary, until trade and traffic, first
between Individuals, then between com
munities, then with various sections of
the country, then between colonies and
nations until we are today In tne
midst of the greatest commercial age
of which history gives a record.
Single Test Not Paaaeea.
"Having demonstrated fully that the
social side of life Is equally as Impor
tant as the material aide of life, the
question now resolves Itsen to ima
point: Would the adoption of a system
that has for lta purpose ana rna mo
abolishment of all private interest m
land relieve society of the many Ills
and irregularities which are admitted
exist? Do we not find the source of
these Ills and Irregularities more gen
eral in the controlling and monopolis
ing of that part of our social existence
and those elements that go to make up
our social wants, rather than In a con
trolling or monopolizing of the ele
ments that go to make our material
wants, or the product of,the land?
"Is It not a fact that there is more
monopoly, that there is a greater op
portunity for monopolizing and con
trolling the products of tho factory,
the products of the farm, the products
of the shop, the means of transporta
tion, the means of communication, the
circulating medium of exchange
(money!, the cornering of opportuni
ties and a vast number of articles that
are used for the gratification of man.
than there Is in the cornering or mo
nopolizing of land?
"Under tha application of single tax.
the land would bear all the burden of
supporting the Government. Those who
deal In commodities, who profit largely
thereby, those who speculate and cor
ner commodities, receiving handsome
Incomes at the expense of the consumer,
would not have to pay any of the ex
penses of the Oovemment. The ap
plication of the single tax system would
stimulate and further a greater mo
nopoly of the products of factory, farm
and ahop necessities, which are a. lux
ury, which are equally as important as
that of land. Capital would be shifted
from that class of property that Is pen
alized in the form of taxes to a class of
property that would not be taxed. Thus
the aim and purpose of the author of
single tax would not be accomplished.
The Irregularities and the ills of so
ciety would not disappear, as he fig
ures they would, but rather the con
trary would be the result.
"Wherever the Incentive for gain, for
power, place, the desire for recognition,
the esteem of your fellow-man la de
stroyed to any extent, the tendency will
be towards a lower degree of social
conditions. There is no greater factor
that enters Into the construction and
upbuilding of man"s social, moral and
Intellectual being that that of the
home. Destroy the right to own prop
erty destroy the right to the value that
Is now In the land by reason of private
ownership, and you have destroyed the
fundamental principle; the force the
mainspring, that has caused the onward
and upward development of man. It Is
a notable fact that where land has been
unappropriated and held In common by
the people, that the advancement has
been very slow. Indeed; that the devel
opment of agriculture to any extent Is
coincident with private property In
land, or at least. In private possession.
That the tendency under a land tenure
system would be to deteriorate society,
there can be no doubt. Stimulating in
fluence would be materially ' lessening
under such a system."
Lot Sales Closed.
Acting for Mrs. Sarah W. Russell.
Wilder Brothers- have sold eight lota
In Edgmont Addition to M. F. Brady,
of the Railway Equipment Company,
for a consideration of 400. They have
also disposed of lot 21. block 12. In
Willamette Heights, to O. A. Weaver
for 12300. and lot 2. block 23, In tha
same addition to W. O. McPherson for
12S00. Both the latter are about to
build fine residences on their lots,
which they consider among the most
sightly sites In the city. Building op
erations will commence Immediately to
enable the owners to take advantage
of the hills In the Summer months.
SMALL TRACTS SELL
Newcomers Seek Rich Sites on
Mount Hood Line.
PLEASANT HOME' ACTIVE
Brewster. Msea., owns a herring brook,
and at the town meeting every ear. fol
lowing an old custom, a committee Is elect
ed by ballot to catch tho fish and dispose
of them. Tha proceeds are turned Into the
tow a treasur
Fertile District In Powell Valley
Mnklna; Marked Development.
Tmbdenstock & Larson
Ran Excursions.
One of the marked features In the
development of country lands this
Spring Is the large number of new
comers who are securing small tracts
of two, five and ten acres. In prefer
ence to the old-style idea of 20 and 30
arre farms. Just as marked Is also the
Idea of many city people In securing
small pieces of la.nd adjacent to Port
land and conveniently located as to
transportation. . '
The reason seems to be that discrim
inating buyers are convinced that the
small rlere of land with good soil, near
a large city and Intensively cultivated,
will produce more actual returns than
a larger piece of land not so close to
the city and farmed according to the
old rotation method. The local devel
opment along these lines hss been dem
onstrated by the success of the I'mb
denstock & Larson Company, with its
tracts situated along the Mt. Hood line.
J. Fred Darson. In. speaking of the
matter, said;
"In sll my experience I have never
met such a strong and Insistent de
mand for small tracts of land as with
in the past 30 days. The large number
of persons who have taken advantage
of our Sunday excursions were new
comers who have been used to compar
atively large farms, and who are a lit
tie skeptical as to the -advantage of se
curing smaller pieces of land; but aft
er looking over Pleasant Home and the
surrounding acres, and seeing what Is
actually being done by those living on
small tracts, they quickly become con
vinced that a few acres In the fertile
Powell Valley, if worked properly, will
produce better than a large number of
acres elsewhere, which are not farmed
on the Intensive method. v
"In addition to these newcomers we
have carried a large number of Port
land people who are dissatisfied with
their cramped city surroundings and
are anxious to secure tracts of one.
two and five acres outside, where the
soil Is rich enough and markets close
enough to enable them to make the
ground produce enough to reduce ma
terially the present high living, ex
pense, and to make It certain of their
disposing of the surplus produce at a
reasonable pront.
"It Is needless to say that the
Powell Valley appeals strongly to this
class also and so rapidly are the lots
and acres In our subdivisions being
purchased that within a Bhort time
the valley will be dotted with pros
perous small farms and self-supporting
residences, and become one of Port
land's most productive suburban dis
tricts. "The transportation problem is being
worked out in a very satisfactory
manner, and we anticipate that in a
few months the Portland Railway.
Light at Power Company will electify
the Mount Hood road and-thls will
mean that those living along that line
will have the benefit, not only of quick
transportation, but will be landed in
the heart of Portland. We are taking
people to our land every day. Trains
leave at 9 A. M. and at 3 P. II. on week
days from the Montavllla station on
the Mount Hood line, and on Sundays
at 9 A. M. and at 1:30 P. M."
A. Poe, living four miles north of
Jefferson, has sold his farm, stock, crop
and Implements to Sam Iringer, form
erly of Coberg, who will take posses
sion at once. Mr. Poe will move to
Albany. The consideration was around
ISO an acre.
ELECTRICIAN REGAINS
HEALTH AND FREEDOM
I Sam Welch, Employed in Los Angeles 16 Years, Removes With Family to
j Oregon Farm, Where Success and Independence Are Assured.
I
V contrast with recent events at
Los Angeles, here Is the story of
Km Welch, an expert electrical
worker In that city. It begins In Cali
fornia and ends In Oregon.
Sam Welch faithfully worked 16
long years at his trade. He was a
stronger, steadier man than most men
are and he did better than the average.
At the end of 16 years with the Los
Angeles Electric Company, he had edu
cated a family of three, putting two
daughters through high school, and
had partly paid for a modest suburban
home. But it had been close, unceasing
toll and grilling economy. He had be
gun to feel dulling effects of bard work
too long sustained. He was convinced
that if he kept It up a few more years
he would be "all In" physically, and
no better oft financially. His wife was
of the same mind, and together they
determined upon a revolutionary
CbSamu"el dldn"t strike. He Just quit.
The Job had become his second nature,
and to cut the two apart seemed a pain
ful operation. But once his mind was
made up. Sam grabbed the ax. It
waa eaay after that.
Kamlly Welcomes Chasuxe.
Finding ho had survived the shock,
he went around and accepted an offer
for " his equity In the cottage. That
was nearly aa hard to do as quitting
his Job. But he was equal to the
emergency. -
He now found himself foot-loose,
with a devoted wife and family, a few
hundred dollars In his pocket, fairly
good health, and a firm resolve that he
would feed no more ef his strength
Into the maw of the city. It gave too
little In return, and the little It gave
was not the kind of satisfaction he
wanted. He had an Ingrowing con
viction that, in a free country, he had
been Hvlpg without any freedom. A
few evenings of intercourse with a
farm Journal had revived within hlra
his grandfather's faith in the soli.
Tha lilt of a blrdsong was in his ears.
The scent of a new-mown hayfleld waa
In his nostrils that no 60-foot lawn
could assuage.
Springtime found him In Northern
Klamath County, following the route
of the Southern Paclflo Railroad's cut
off under the construction between
Natron and Klamath Falls. Ha secured
a piece of land a few miles north of
the Klamath Indian Reservation, rented
a small house on a ranch fo.ur miles
in.raiio tha famllv in It. and
began Improving his farm.
This carving a nome ouv i wnu-
iAn to wnnHern fashion.
nco -
It has been taboo principally because
tt naa no aireciwwio. t-
picture shows and department stores.
But Sara Welch's family had seen these
things all they cared for. and they en-
Joyed the wilderness more. They found
the so-called "wilderness" really a
beautiful place to live In, and they set
about aiding nature to make It more
beautiful.
Fine Farm Being Developed,
If Samuel's partner on the Job In Los
Angeles had told him he would walk
four miles to his meals dally, build a
big log house, two log barns, and that
he would plow, sow and fence a field
of 30 acres of grain,, besides a lot of
other work, all In one season, and gain
flesh, Sam would have hooted.
But, at the end of the season he had
done all these things. In November the
rye was up nicely, there was wild hay
stored for Winter, plenty of fuel, but
ter, eggs and milk. And then he took
the first good long vacation he had
known in 1 years. He and Sam Welch,
Jr., 14 years old, went for a hunting
and fishing trip to the mountains a
few miles distant, and they didn't come
back till they got ready.
All this happened last year. Today
nobody could Induce Sam Welch, expert
electrical worker, to go back ' to Los
Angeles and look for a Job. Those who
know him say he is going to develop
one of the best farms in Klamath Coun
ty. In the one year he has made a
greater stride toward financial Inde
pendence than he ' had been able to
make In It years of hard work In a big
city.
Stories of Success by
Homebuilders
Worklngman Bays Home In Mot
Scott District and taea Kent Money
to Pay for Property.
BT JOHN E. DORR.
4231 Fortieth street, eontheaat.
IN AUGUST, 1907, I arrived in Port
land with rr.y family and had 3200
cash left after paying 125 In advance
for a month's rent. With seven mem
bers of the family and tho eldest child
only 14 years old, I realized that as a
working man. depending upon any kind
of work, I must stop paying such high
rent. o I bought a home on the East
TILE
For Floors, Bathrooms, Mantols, Kitchen
and All Purposes.
LARGE AND COMPLETE STOCK.
FRED W. WAGXEB,
Mala S330. 303 Stark.
Regarding the Furnish Lands
Located at Stanfield, Oregon
The most reliable information you can get re
garding any section of the country is from the
people who are living in that particular locality.
In view of this fact, we will give you the con
tents of a letter received by us from an actual
settler who is living on a tract of land bought of
the Inland Irrigation Co., at Stanfield, Oregon:
STANFIELD, Or., March 1, 1912.
Mr. P. L. Sherwood, Spokane, Wash.:
Dear Sir: In reply to your request asking me to give my
personal opinion of this country and the Furnish Project, of
which I own 20 acres, I will say I have been living on my land
for 18 months and consider it worth twice what it was in the
rough state. The land here is the easiest to put in shape of
any I have seen and the preparation of land for irrigation is
one of the points of expense to look at. I visited Hood River, .
North Yakima, Milton, Freewater and Wenatchee before
locating here and found that this place affords all the necessi
ties that go to make a fruit-producing section, and in many
ways has the others beaten. As for alfalfa, there is no place
I have seen or heard of that equals this.
As for climate, one has only.to live here one year and they
will be one of us, not barring California. Our growing season
' is from one to four weeks longer here than in any of the other
places I have mentioned and I see many 2-year-old trees that
made a seven-foot growth this season. We grow vegetables
here that I thought could not be grown outside of pictures
potatoes weighing three and a half to four pounds, and every- ...
thing else you can mention to the same proportion. I helped
take 16 tons of alfalfa off from 10 acres that was in sagebrush
six months ago and will produce 70 tons next season easily.
But my advice to a man would be to be here and attend to
his place or at least look after the work being done on it.
Yours respectfully, 1 C. C. CARB
Our Portland office is located in the Chamber
of Commerce building, and we will be pleased
to have you come in and talk with us regarding
the land above referred to, as we are exclusive
sales agents for them and we believe we can
prove to you that the land is located in the best
fruit and alfalfa district in the Northwest, and
our water system is the best and most up-to-date
in the state of Oregon. Come in and see
us or write for descriptive booklet.
Sherwood Immigration Company
439-440-441 Chamber of Commerce Building
Side. In the Mount Scott district, the
property containing a four-room dwell
ing and two lots, 80x100 feet.
T nald 1200 down on a consideration
of II5G0, the remainder to be paid on
monthly installments of $15, with 6 per
cent interest. After trying experiences
rucceeded in making 61 payments be
tween November 1 1907, and January 1,
1912, or altogether $765 on my home,
besides paying the interest. During this
period I had reduced the Interest pay-
ments from 16.75 to $2.5. Considering
the amount I am paying for Interest
now (January 1912), I might say that
the payments -re simply the rent for a
four-room house and two lots. In two
years I will not have to pay any more
rent.
Some people do not seem to look
ahead any; they Just keep on moving
from place to place, so that when they
get old they have no home of their
own. I always managed to pay regu-
larly on my home. "When I bought the
property I had the abstract examined
and duly recorded so now I can sleep
easy and do not have to worry about
being turned out by the rent collector.
With the major part of the Indebted
ness paid off, I and my family now feel
secure and expect that the day will
soon be at hand when we will enjoy
absolute independence. Our experience
shows that any person can win a home
if ha makes up his mind to that enil.
VTo SUCCES
as m
I ( I
! ! I
(
J!
i
A New Home Building Plan
The New "Home Contract" of the Oregon Home
Builders. The Best and Most Liberal Plan Ever
Offered.
Building homes on a gigantic wholesale basis that's the plan of tho
Oregon Ilome Builders in a nutshell.
Everybody knows that two houses can be built more cheaply than one,
and a hundred more cheaply than ten. Our operations are on a large
scale. Everything is on a wholesale basis. Our lumber, hardware,
plumbing supplies, cement, brick and all other building materials are
furnished at first cost, not only saving the middlemen's profit, but
insuring a still greater saving by buying in such large quantities. ve
employ our own architects and save the architects' and contractors
profits. '
Everybody Can Own a Home Now by the Oregon Home Builder's Plan
Our "Home Contract" Plan enables you to secure a home of your
own design, without a down payment. Simply agree to pay a dollar,
two dollar3 or three dollars, or whatever amount you can, each week
or month. When 10 per cent of the cost of your home has been paid
in we will immediately build any design of home you desire. Besides,
every dollar you pay in will draw interest at the rate of 6 per cent an
nually, -which will be credited to your "Home Contract" and the en
tire amount applied on the purchase of your home. The balance can
be paid weekly or monthly in installments that are less than rent.
Advantages of Our "Home Contract" Plan
No down, payment.
Terms like rent.
Save architects' fees.
Save contractors' profits.
6 per cent is added to your
payments.
Rav real estate man's commissions.
Home built according to your or
ders. Save by wholesale buying.
Everything guaranteed by one of the
strongest companies in the West.
Investigate our "Home Contract." It will in
terest you. Call, phone or write for literature.
Full information upon application.
Jfea Qreftoa Home Ecilgrs
Corbett Building . Portland, Or.
'lflsVjsrt,,