The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW: 1883-1930) Sat 25 Jan 1890 Page 5
The Philosophy of the Single Tax.
By J. Farrell.
No. VIII. Monopoly, and How It Works.
In the beginning there was neither exchange nor capital. Primitive man had to face life with no other help than his hands, and satisfy his primitive wants as best he might. Each had access to everything he found existing that could serve his purpose. After a time it was found that one had different capacities from another. One excelled in tilling the soil, perhaps, and another in catching fish. Both wanted fish and bread, and it occurred to both that if the fisherman kept solely to fishing and the agriculturist solely to farming they could each, by exchanging their produce, get the best return for a given amount of labor. The fisherman found out, too, that by devoting a certain part of his work to making nets he could secure more fish in a day with that time deducted from it than he could in a full day's fishing on the old principle. The farmer made a similar discovery in regard to making implements for his own assistance. Thus capital made its first appearance. The fisherman and the farmer in turn found that someone also could make nets or implements better than they, so they exchanged fish and wheat with such makers, who could not produce either for themselves directly with such advantage, for nets and implements, to the gain of all parties. That is a true statement of the case of labor, capital and exchange, and of the relation they bear to each other. Let progress and invention go on to infinity under the conditions I have stated — equal access to all needful raw material — and that relation could not be in the smallest degree changed. It is natural cooperation of production. Every labor-saving invention in conferring gain on the user would confer it upon all others within the circle of exchange by reducing the amount of labor consumers would have to give, in the shape of their own products, for the products cheapened by the labor-saving machines. As I have before pointed out, no one could benefit himself except by benefiting others.
But monopoly soon found out a vulnerable spot and fastened upon it. It secured the raw material from which not only fish or wheat could be produced by labor, but the capital, such as nets and implements, which would add to its productive power. It said, "labor and capital can only exist and prosper by employing themselves in producing wealth and doing good. I will exist and prosper by preventing their operations." After having entered into possession of the best points of production (which involve those of exchange and distribution) it began to produce, exchange or distribute with its labor or capital. This labor
But monopoly soon found out a vulnerable spot and fastened upon it. It secured the raw material from which not only fish or wheat could be produced by labor, but the capital, such as nets and implements, which would add to its productive power. It said, "labor and capital can only exist and prosper by employing themselves in producing wealth and doing good. I will exist and prosper by preventing their operations." After having entered into possession of the best points of production (which involve those of exchange and distribution) it began to produce, exchange or distribute with its labor or capital. This labor