LAND TAX, formerly the chief source of levying an income for government uses, but in modern times constituting generally an incon siderable part of national incomes. Both the Greeks and Romans taxed upon the estimated yield ' of land in their earliest taxation, but later developments of wealth gave broader sources of income and the land taxes ceased to occupy the place of prime importance in providing a government income, except where agriculture instead of commerce and industry forms the chief occupation of a country.
Rome returned to the land tax as a source of revenue after the decay of the empire destroyed her commerce; and northern Euro pean countries depended upon land taxes al most exclusively in their earlier days. The development of wealth in other forms in variably diverts taxation from the land except where it is required, as in many modern in stances, for purposes of social or political development.
The French physiocrats and the American single-taxers maintain that the entire source of revenue for government uses should be vested in the taxation of land. While these theories
have many adherents the present consensus of opinion among economists is that their applica tion would involve many serious injustices.
More recently special taxation of land for the purpose of preventing large tracts being held in idleness for speculative purposes, and large estates held in unproductiveness, have held the attention of legislators.
In New Zealand, Australia and western Canada taxation of land for the purpose of regulating its use is prevalent.
In the United States the laws of the in dividual States vary, but the general procedure is the assessment at a uniform rate of all property, including land. There is no Federal taxation of land, direct taxation being left in the hands of the States. As a rule changes in land taxation in the States are at present em ployed as a means of preventing the land from being held in idleness, thereby retarding the development of the community as .a whole.