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SCI LIBRARY

What We Demand is the End to Privilege

Edward Nordman


[An address delivered at the International Single Tax Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1926. Mr. Nordman was Commission of Markets of Wisconsin. Reprinted from Land and Freedom, July-August, 1926]



We cannot much longer survive a condition that divests wealth from its rightful owners, who are the producing masses, to the pocket of the privileged classes and get away with it. The stability of industry, and therefore of society demands that wealth be distributed on a service basis, and if this is done the actual producers of wealth will acquire the necessary purchasing and producing power to keep industry going.

There can be no such equitable distribution so long as the privileged few are permitted to absorb the vast sums that are involved in the unearned increment. This mal-adjustment of the distribution system is confusing the markets to such an extent that the producer never knows where he is at. There will be no cure for this evil until leaders at least, get the idea of its source, which is the absorption of the unearned increment by private individuals.

But let us take courage in the fact that nature is on our side in this great fight. Perhaps nature does not come right out and tell us what the remedy is, and how to apply it, but she does put obstacles in the way of trying to apply wrong remedies and so it is simply a matter of pounding away at the problem and sooner or later the world will stumble onto the real remedy and try it out. When this remedy is applied it will be found to work perfectly and receive nature's approval.