*  Quoted  from  the  Ford  Franchise  Tax  Act  of  New  York.

8

THE  A  B  C  OF  TAXATION

public  a  full  and  fair  equivalent  for  the  privilege
conceded  to  it.
The  monopolies  and  special  privileges  which  should
properly  share  with  land  values  the  burden  of  taxation, ­
  may  be  partially  enumerated  as  follows:  the
private  appropriation  of  natural  resources  such  as
gold,  silver,  copper,  iron,  and  coal  mines,  oil  fields,
and  water  powers;  all  franchises  of  steam  and  electric
railways;  all  other  public  franchises,  granted  to  one
or  several  persons  incorporated,  from  which  all  other
people  are  excluded,  and  which  include  all  “rights,
authority,  or  permission  to  construct,  maintain,  or
operate  in,  under,  above,  upon,  or  through  any  streets,
highways,  or  public  places,  mains,  pipes,  tanks,  conduits, ­
  or  wires,  with  their  appurtenances  for  conducting
water,  steam,  heat,  light,  power,  gas,  oil,  or  other
substance,  or  electricity  for  telegraphic,  telephonic,
or  other  purposes.”*
The  reforms  contemplated  by  the  single  tax  would
leave  the  State  and  the  individual  to  deal  together
exactly  as  individuals  deal  with  one  another  in  ordinary
business.  Persons  desiring  special  privileges  would
rent  them  from  the  State  or  the  municipality,  just  as
they  now  rent  them  from  individuals  and  corporations,
and  on  similar  terms,  fixed  from  year  to  year.  When
paid  for  in  this  way,  the  special  privilege  feature
would  be  eliminated.  Then  there  really  would  be  no
special  privileges,  and  there  would  be  need  of  no  other
taxation.  Hence,  we  say,  the  least  the  public  can
do  is  to  tax  and  collect  upon  these  special  privileges,
including  ground  rent,  a  sum  sufficient  to  defray
all  public  expenses.