University Missourian

SINGLE TAX SLIPPED THROUGH
Everett, Wash., Attorney Says Measure Was Passed Without Notice.

Clayton M. Williams, who is an attorney in Everett, Wash., where the single tax was adopted last fall, says that form of taxation was adopted there on account of the indifference of the public. He says it just slipped through without attracting any notice until it was passed.

Mr. Williams, who is visiting the home of Prof. O. M. Stewart at 211 Hicks avenue, said that he was not in favor of single tax because he thought the economic principle of it was wrong.

"The single tax," said Mr. Williams, "was adopted in Everett, probably because it has been in effect for some time in Vancouver, Canada, which is only about sixty miles north of Everett. Some attribute the boom of Vancouver to the single tax. It was voted in Everett only last fall and has not yet really had time to be tested. It was supported principally by the radicals, who always want a change. We have voted on single tax three times within the last two years. The first time it was defeated by an overwhelming majority, the second time by just a good margin and the last time it passed by a very close majority.

"It was promoted by a single-tax league which was not composed of the prominent business or political men of the city. No class or party as a whole supported it, in fact very little was thought of it.

"The adopted system will go into effect by degrees. It will take four years to make the change in the system. At the next assessment, in March, 1913, 25 per cent of the land improvements will be exempted, at the next assessment 50 per cent, the next 75 per cent and the next all improvements will be exempt, provided of course the single tax is not repealed before that."

When asked if he thought that it would be repealed, Mr. Williams said that he thought there would probably be some organized opposition to it, especially on the part of the real estate dealers and people who owned any considerable amount of property.

He said that he thought that the adoption of the single tax would decrease the aggregate taxes of Everett very much, that something like 40 per cent of the present assessed property would be exempted from any tax.

"The adoption of the single tax system in Everett may possibly be explained, partly at least, of the western custom of adopting new systems," said Mr. Williams. Everett is one of the very first towns south of the Canadian line to adopt this system of taxation.

Mr. Williams says he knows of no other American town using the system.