THE MAKING OF TO-MORROW

HOW THE WORLD OF TO-DAY IS PREPARING
FOR THE WORLD OF TO-MORROW

The Only Single-Tax Colony In the World

By Percy Trenchard (1906)

Photo: The Wharf at Fairhope, Alabama

The dream of Henry George, as set forth in "Progress and Poverty," has become a reality. There is actually a single tax colony, the only one in the world, that is rapidly becoming a thriving and important community. Two hundred acres of land were secured some time ago by ardent single tax advocates in Baldwin county, Alabama, and there, on a beautiful bluff overlooking Mobile Bay, the pretty village of Fairhope was founded. It has developed into one of the most prosperous settlements of the state. The ethical foundation of the George philosophy is that "all men have equal right to the use of the earth." Mr. George argued that the denial of this right and the permitting of some to hold as their own what he considered to be common heritage, was the chief cause for progress being always accompanied by poverty. He held that the only way by which this equal right could be secured to all men at all times all over the land was to require each to pay, for the benefit of all, the value of such portion of land as he wished exclusively to hold, and that this at the same time afforded the natural source of public revenue.

The Fairhope Association has taken advantage of the 'very law which gives landowners their power — the land has been secured by purchase, then "rent" is collected from the individual holders in proportion to the value of the ground they occupy; and from the fund thus collected all taxes levied by the county and state are paid, and whatever remains is applied to public improvements in the community the association controls. Any olie approving the principles advocated may become a member with all the privileges upon payment. of a fee of $100 which is applied to the purchase of land, and any one can settle on .colony lands and enjoy all the privileges without joining the association, except that he can not vote and hold office in the corporation.

Photo: A Fairhope Cottage

The business of the colony is carried on by officers elected by the members, but upon the petition of ten per cent of the members any act of the officers or any measure proposed by the petitioners themselves must be submitted to the vote of the members. Thus the rights of the people are safeguarded by the initiative and the referendum and right of recall. Individual use and possession of the land are secured by means of leases, which may be held for ninety-nine years "subject to an annually appraised rent based upon the value of said land exclusive of improvements. '' The principle of this is to " so fix the rent as to equalize the varying advantages of the different tracts and convert into the treasury of the association, for the common benefit of its lessees, all values attaching to such lands not due to the efforts and expenditures of the lessees."

The rents are annually adjusted by a special committee and when the work is done every lessee is furnished with a list showing the several appraisements. A day is appointed on which complaints are received from any who think they are not fairly dealt with, after which "the valuations are subject to a referendum to the members.

The lessee practically owns the land he occupies and is enabled to secure it by merely paying the rent. This is to the advantage of the man of limited capital as he can use whatever money he may have in making improvements, upon which improvements he does not have to pay taxes. The beneficial results claimed for this system of land tenure is that no one takes and holds more of the land than he can put to good use, for it would not pay him to do so. Secondly the public fund provided through the payment of rent to the community is so large that many public utilities are provided that other communities can not afford.

The population of Fairhope is now between five and seven hundred. There are more than one hundred dwellings, three general stores, a dry-goods and millinery store, a fine hotel, two drug-stores, meat market, bakery, several mills, livery stable, printing-office, several shops, occupied by various trades, a neat church building, fine public school buildings, a town hall and lodges for benevolent "or fraternal organizations.

Photo:
A Public School Building At Fairhope

The association owns, free of incumbrance, nearly one thousand six hundred acres of land. It also owns a wharf which extends one thousand eight Irandred feet into the bay. The steamer Fairhope keeps the townsfolk in touch with Mobile, a city of fifty thousand, sixteen miles across the bay and the trip is made in an hour and a half.

The water supply is obtained from a well 152 feet deep, the water being pumped into a tank by means of a windmill. The principal streets will soon be piped. There is an excellent public library of some two thousand volumes. Market gardening and stock raising occupy the attention of many of the colonists. A ready market is found at Mobile and by shipping to northern cities. It is expected that the railroad will find its way to Fairhope soon. The colony is prospering, the colonists are happy and the experiment has become assured of success.

Source: Trenchard, Percy. "The Making of Tomorrow." World Today 1906: 1210-1213.

Transcribed by Dawn Conway, April 8, 2009.

Additional Information:

E. B. Gaston and the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation