Many treatises have been written concerning the morality of one or other element or section of the distributive process; for example, wages, interest, monopoly, the land question; but, so far as the author knows, no attempt has hitherto been made to discuss the moral aspects of the entire process in all its parts. At least, no such task has been undertaken by any one who believes that the existing economic system is not inherently unjust. That the present essay in this field falls far short of adequate achievement the author fully realises, but he is sustained by the hope that it will provoke discussion, and move some more competent person to till the same field in a more thorough and fruitful way. JOHN A. RYAN. The Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., June 14, 1916. CONTENTS PREFACE vii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER: THE ELEMENTS AND SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM xiii General References xvii SECTION I THE MORALITY OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERSHIP AND RENT CHAPTER PAGE I THE LANDOWNER'S SHARE OF THE NATIONAL PRODUCT 3 Economic Rent Always Goes to the Landowner 4 Economic Rent and Commercial Rent 5 The Cause of Economic Rent 6 II LANDOWNERSHIP IN HISTORY 8 No Private Ownership in Pre-Agricultural Conditions 10 How the Change Probably Took Place 12 Limited Character of Primitive Common Ownership 14 Private Ownership General in Historical Times 15 Conclusions from History 17 III THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST PRIVATE LANDOWNERSHIP 19 Arguments by Socialists 19 Henry George's Attack on the Title of First Occupancy 21 His Defence of the Title of Labour 24 The Right of all Men to the Bounty of the Earth 30 The Alleged Right of the Community to Land Values 39 IV PRIVATE OWNERSHIP THE BEST SYSTEM OF LAND TENURE 48 The Socialist Proposals Impracticable 48 Inferiority of the Single Tax System 51