TAXATION AND LAND 



able. I by no means concur in all the rea- 

 sons which many assign for this; nor should 

 I expect from it, even if carried to Henry 

 George's length, more than half the benefits 

 to society which he anticipates. Still, the 

 proposition to lay the main tax on land im- 

 presses me as just, safe, good for farmers, 

 accordant with the best canons of public 

 finance. By taxing land proper, /. e., mere 

 location and native fertility (as contrasted 

 with created fertility) you are in condition 

 to lighten taxation on wealth and capital, 

 the products of labor, thus encouraging in- 

 dustry. 



But I, for my part, should deprecate an 

 absolutely single tax system of any sort, the 

 more if the one tax were upon land. When 

 Professor Harris and Edward Atkinson, 

 referring to the United States, and Mr. 

 Richard Simon with reference to Great 

 Britain, held forth that the economic land 

 rent would not suffice for the national reve- 

 nue, I was anxious to agree with them, 

 though I could not. It occurred to me that, 

 if ;hp^ were right, we could beautifully 



279 



