THE SOCIAL QUAGMIRE 409 



of comfort would gracluall}' rise. If, however, these last 

 mentioned reforms are made without any alteration of land- 

 tenure, he will not be permanently benefited, because the 

 competition of the better, rent-free land, and also that of 

 the great capitalist farmers, will still drive jDrices down to 

 the lowest point at which he can just exist. This competi- 

 tion will act quite as surely and quite as cruelly as the 

 competition of labourers in the towns and cities, Avhich 

 always drives down the earnings of unskilled labour to the 

 very lowest point, a point which is kept stationary by the 

 presence of a large body of the unemployed on the verge of 

 starvation and always ready to work at a little above starva- 

 tion wages. 



It will no doubt be objected that, even admitting such a 

 land-system to be desirable, there is now no equitable means 

 of getting the land back, except the impossible one of pur- 

 chase from existing owners. But this is a mistake, and 

 several practical methods have been or can be suggested. 

 We have, first, the " single tax" of Mr. George, which has 

 already obtained many adherents. At first sight farmers 

 may think this would increase their burthens ; but it 

 would, on the contrary, relieve them, because all land would 

 be taxed on its inherent, not on its improved, value. Now 

 the inherent value of land in and around cities is enormous, 

 and is not now fairly assessed. This city land would bear a 

 much larger share of taxation than now ; farm land projDor- 

 tionally less ; and as this single tax would be accompanied 

 by the removal of all duties on imported goods and produce, 

 the farmer's tools, machinery, and clothing would be greatly 

 cheapened. 



But notwithstanding this single tax on land values, it 

 might still be worth the while of great capitalists, companies, 

 and trusts to hold large areas of land, because they could 

 derive both profit and power from it in various indirect 

 ways. The people will never be free from the countless 

 evils of land -monopoly and land-speculation until it is de- 

 clared contrary to public policy for any one to hold land 

 except for personal use and occupation. A date might then 

 be fixed before which all land not personally occupied must 

 be sold ; and that it should be really sold might be insured 



