ith the
growth of the city. Scattered through this zone, are many tracts of
farming lands in active use. For this reason, they have to bear an extra
burden of taxes, in order to equalize the low rates on such large tracts
of idle land. These heavy taxes are patiently borne by the resident
farmers, with the hope of reimbursement in the near future, by being
able to sell their farms for extraordinary prices. In this way, abnormal
prices become firmly established throughout the zone; which like some
great barrier most effectively confines the working man and his family,
to the narrow limits of a city tenement, with its high rents.

"If a builder with some idle capital, should wish to erect a
considerable number of modest cottages, within the limits of this
monopolized zone; with the purpose of renting them to working men; he
would find it impossible, or at least impracticable to do so. Why?
Because he would have to pay almost city prices for the ground; then,
having covered the lots with houses, he would be obliged to pay a heavy
penalty for this outlay of capital, by the grievous burden of taxation,
which would fall upon him. Houses built under these circumstances, could
not be let at a rent low enough to be within the means of the working
man.

"The number of people who are confined to city life by the causes named,
is very large. Just how large, I have no means of ascertaining.
Families, who are subsisting on incomes of ten dollars per week and
less, furnish a large proportion of this number.

"We have seen that the disastrous crowding, the alarming density of our
large city populations, is mainly due to two causes. High
transportation, caused by the railroad combine; and an outrageous land
monopoly, made possible by a bad system of taxation. We have seen, that
this dense mass of needy humanity, constantly creates such a fierce
competition, that rents must grow higher and wages must grow lower. We
have seen, that the causes named, are steadily diminishing the wealth of
rural sections, by transferring it to the great city. We have seen that
this whole movement, which tends to transform the great majority of the
independent citizens of a republic, into the financial slaves of an
oligarchy, is the natural outgrowth of the competitive system. Taught by
history, we know, that as the oligarchy rises and reigns, the republic
dies.

"Knowing the causes which have produced these conditions, we are
prepared to discover, and