734 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tenure, is the dividing the land up into small holdings. Mr. George 

 thinks this both impracticable and undesirable, as well as inefficient. 

 Land can not be so divided, and even if it could, it is against those ten- 

 dencies that are born of and grow with civilization. Machinery applied 

 to agriculture makes cultivation on a large scale moi'e economical than 

 on a small one, and such holdings would interfere with the most ad- 

 vantageous occupancy of the land. The plan, however, has the cardi- 

 nal objection that, unless every member of a community was a holder 

 of land of equal productiveness, it would not abolish rent, and would 

 therefore have no tendency toward an equitable division of the produce. 

 There therefore remains only the plan of giving to every one equal 

 rights to the whole land — the plan of making land common property. 



Mr. George dismisses the claim of the landowners to compensation. 

 If they were paid the market price for the land, industry would not be 

 relieved, as the tax would remain in the form of interest on the pur- 

 chase-money. Such an arrangement would, of course, prevent the 

 further tax upon industry caused by the future increase of rent, but 

 still the main burden would remain. Injustice, Mr. George thinks, has 

 and can have no vested rights. If it be a wrong to deprive the land- 

 owners of their land without compensation, it is a greater wrong to 

 take from industry to pay them for a value that industry has alone 

 created. It is a conflict of claims, and the lesser claim must be the 

 one disregarded. He points out that, tried by the common law, which 

 through all the ages has been built up and elaborated by the dominant 

 class, the landholders, they would not only get no recompense for their 

 land, but none for their improvements ; and, further, that they would 

 be called to account for the returns received during the time the land 

 was held. Mr. George is, however, satisfied to waive this, and be con- 

 tent with the resumption of the land by society. 



In carrying out his project of making land common property, Mr. 

 George would disturb as little as possible existing industrial, social, 

 and political organization. He does not think that it is either neces- 

 sary or desirable to effect his purpose directly. It can be done better 

 and with less shock to accustomed feelings and habits, and with greater 

 economy of means, indirectly. His plan is very simple. He would 

 place all taxes upon land. He would leave the titles to land in the 

 hands of individuals to buy and sell, to let and hold the same as now, 

 but while leaving the shell he would take the kernel, by confiscating 

 rent. "We now take some rent in taxation ; he would take it all. This 

 would pay all government expenses, and would increase rapidly enough 

 to meet them as they increase, and to perhaps leave a surplus. Such 

 an arrangement would result in an enormous simplification of govern- 

 ment. It would take no more labor to collect land-taxes then than 

 now, while all the cumbrous institutions now in use — custom-houses, 

 internal revenue service, etc. — with their vast and demoralizing influ- 

 ence on political life and their prodigal waste, would be abolished. 



