POLITICAL ECONOMY. AND THE SINGLE TAX.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1813, 28 July 1913, Page 4

POLITICAL ECONOMY. AND THE SINGLE TAX.

Sir,—The touching faith of Mr. A. Hunter and Mr. W. J. .Birch in politieal' economy as a corrective for the "'singletax" argues .considerable ignorance on their part of political economy, or tho. •tho "single-tax, or of both. Political economy may bo defined as the scicnce of making a living; and a knowledge of "the basic principlea of political' economy" shows that mankind can mako a living only by labour and only on and from the land. Smco all men liave equal rights to mako a living, and since they can make a living only by the use of the earth, it follows that all .men have equal, rights to the use of the earth. But! different parts of the earth differ greatly in natural productiveness, and still more in regard to tho advantages they possess because of the presence of population, mid of public facilities,, such as railways, roads, etc., etc. A knowledge of the law of rent—tho "pons asinorum" of political economy— shows how these varying advantages are all nieasured by the differing rental values of the land, and shows that the equal rights of all men to-make, a living —i.e., their equal rights to the use tf the earth—can be secured by requiring each man to pay into a common fund for the benefit of all the rental value cf tho land that he is privileged to' hold and use. 'Phis rent fund, moreover, is ample for all public purposes, both national and local. Thereforv, if this renf) fund, produced by the presence of the public ns a whole, and by public expenditure upon public works, and public services,, bo taken for public purposes, 110 taxation whatever neod be levied upon individual earnings. Thus political economy shows us how to socure a "square deal"—how to secure equal opportunities for' all in regard to the use of the earth, liow to secure to all the earnings of all, and to each the earnings of each—a consummation, surely, devoutly to bo wished by all honest and intelligent men. Mr. Hunter, and Mr. Birch will, no doubt, complain that this is not political economy, but "single-tax"—slieer "confiscation and robbery," and all the rest of it. AVell, they may call it what they like. But, let them call it what they will, they cannot get away from the facjts: (1) That all men havo equal rights to mako a living, and therefore equal righU to the use of tho earth; and (2) that to secure to tho public the earnings of tho public and to the individual the earnings of the individual is an economic "square deal."—l am, etc., ARTHUR WITHT. General Secretary N.Z. Land Values League. Goldie's Brae, July 18, 1913. P.S.—lf he will face the facts, Mr. Gal*, diner will find that every small holder in New Zealand stands to gain conftiderably, not to. lose, by the "single-tax."