Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Urban Land, Traffic and Housing Problems; An Attempted Solution: True "Land Monopoly" And Its Advantages
The present pamphlet deals largely with London, but what is said about London applies equally well, mutatis mutandis, to all other cities or towns, or even villages, either in England or anywhere else in the world.
AS an indication of the feeling about land, I may mention that the Liberal candidate at the recent Hanley election (i write on August 13th, 1912) advocated, I understand, a tax Of 2d. In the 75 on the capital value of the land of the British Isles, which he valued at estimating the annual income arising therefrom at Such a tax would produce per annum. But a tax of ad. In the if on the capital value is equivalent to 33. 4d. In the on the annual value. Thus, land would pay a Special extra income tax of 3s. 4d. In the Such a tax would probably be popular among the landless, who are the majority, because people are usually ready to consent to taxes which they themselves will not have to pay. There can be no doubt also that popular opinion is Often hostile to landlords, on account of the huge sums which have to be paid to the latter for their land when it has to be acquired by a public body to carry out some public improvement. Some reformers contend that improvements are rendered Virtually impossible by these prohibitive prices, which, they assert, are due to the land monopoly.
The programme of the single-taxers is the abolition of all taxation upon labour, and the pro ducts of labour, and the earnings of labour, and the imposition of a tax of 205. In the on all land values. The Hanley election proves that that policy will secure much popularity.
Now I venture to suggest in this pamphlet that the prevailing ideas about land monopoly are erroneous. I admit that under the present system all public improvements necessitating the purchase of land in towns are very costly. Take the following as an instance: the London Traffic Commission, to relieve the congestion of the London streets, advised the construction of two new thoroughfares, each 140 feet wide, one from east to west 4g miles long, the other from north to south 4% miles long, total 9 miles. And the cost? For the first (la, per mile) and for the second per mile), making a total of (not all of this is cost of land, but much is.) Up to March, 1908, London had already Spent on street improvement, and it was felt that this scheme could not be taken up on account of the cost.
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