Note 14 — LAND PROPERTY RIGHT.

The proper means to prevent settlers from seizing upon more land than they can put to good use, and taking up too wide an arrangement, is not a high price upon fresh lands (which is merely to suck out the life’s-blood of the colonist just as he is about to commence the arduous combat), but a low land tax per acre, rated permanently to three or more class qualities of soil. This is the only genuine tax,—should be the only tax, and made available to the whole government of the colony. Instead of repressing industry as other taxes necessarily do (those on pernicious luxuries excepted), this tax would even benefit the payer by stimulating him to improve his lands, and thus render them of higher quality, while their class rating for taxation remained unchanged.