Edward Craigie
Encyclopedia
Edward John Craigie was a Single Tax League
member for the South Australian House of Assembly
seat of Flinders
from 1930 to 1941.
Born and raised in Moonta, South Australia
, the son of Scottish
parents, Craigie left school aged 11, initially working as an office boy before stints as a baker and butcher in Adelaide
. From an early age, Craigie believed there needed to be a drastic overhaul of society to benefit the less privileged. Initially attracted to socialism
, Craigie was converted to the ideas of Henry George
who argued that all taxes should be abolished except for a single tax on unimproved land values (Craigie referred to it as a tax on "the rental value of land brought into existence by the collective presence of the people.")
Returning to Moonta in 1904, Craigie joined the United Labor Party (the predecessor of the Australian Labor Party
) with the aim of incorporating single tax theory
as party policy and worked as a political journalist for local papers. Craigie was elected to Moonta Council in 1905 and successfully introduced a single tax system throughout the council area, believing this to be the first step towards the nationwide institution of a tax on unimproved land values. Considering his work done in Moonta, Craigie resigned from the council and the Labor Party in 1911 to serve as Secretary of the Henry George League of South Australia and form the Single Tax League in order to contest elections and gain support for single tax theory.
Over the next two decades, Craigie unsuccessfully contested federal (including the 1914 Adelaide by-election
), state and Adelaide City Council elections on the platform of single tax, either as a Single Tax League, Commonwealth Liberal Party
, or Liberal Union
candidate but still found time to marry, write a raft of treatises on tax reform and, from 1921, serve as editor of the League's newspaper, the People's Advocate.
Craigie finally found electoral success in 1930 in the South Australian House of Assembly Electoral district of Flinders
, which covered the west coast of South Australia, the stronghold of single tax theory in Australia. The onset of the Great Depression
had led to widespread public belief that the tax system had become too burdensome and complex and many sought a simpler solution, for which the single tax theory spruiked by Craigie seemed the answer.
Described as "a small, mild and rather insignificant man", Craigie spent his time in parliament advocating, to the exclusion of all other issues, single tax theory, was considered by many to be a colossal bore and his speeches, usually long, were generally very dull. Craigie also had to deal with the enmity of Labor supporters who considered him a rat for leaving the ALP. They showed their displeasure by hurling fruit and attacking him during public meetings.
Nevertheless, Craigie was re-elected to Flinders in 1933 and 1938, the latter as one of 15 independents in a House of 39 members. Fellow independent Tom Stott
attempted to form an independent led government with himself as Premier but Craigie refused to support anyone who did not wish to see single tax theory instituted.
By the 1941 election the electorate had tired of Craigie and his ideas. He had however been elected President of the International Union of Single Taxers in 1939 and continued in this role as well as League Secretary, until his retirement in 1948, thereafter remaining trustee of the Henry George Foundation (Australia).
A savvy investor, Craigie died in Adelaide a wealthy man but with his life's dream unfulfilled. As one commentator noted after his death "He would have been an influential contributor to William Ewart Gladstone
's last ministry; he was out of time and place in South Australia."
Single Tax League
The Single Tax League was an Australian political party that flourished throughout the 1920s and 30s.Based upon the ideas of Henry George, who argued that all taxes should be abolished, save for a single tax on unimproved land values, the Single Tax League was founded shortly after World War I, and...
member for the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
seat of Flinders
Electoral district of Flinders
Flinders is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula and...
from 1930 to 1941.
Born and raised in Moonta, South Australia
Moonta, South Australia
Moonta is a town located on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia, 165 kilometres north-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. It is one of three towns known as the Copper Coast or "Little Cornwall" for their shared copper mining history....
, the son of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
parents, Craigie left school aged 11, initially working as an office boy before stints as a baker and butcher in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. From an early age, Craigie believed there needed to be a drastic overhaul of society to benefit the less privileged. Initially attracted to socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, Craigie was converted to the ideas of Henry George
Henry George
Henry George was an American writer, politician and political economist, who was the most influential proponent of the land value tax, also known as the "single tax" on land...
who argued that all taxes should be abolished except for a single tax on unimproved land values (Craigie referred to it as a tax on "the rental value of land brought into existence by the collective presence of the people.")
Returning to Moonta in 1904, Craigie joined the United Labor Party (the predecessor of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
) with the aim of incorporating single tax theory
Georgism
Georgism is an economic philosophy and ideology that holds that people own what they create, but that things found in nature, most importantly land, belong equally to all...
as party policy and worked as a political journalist for local papers. Craigie was elected to Moonta Council in 1905 and successfully introduced a single tax system throughout the council area, believing this to be the first step towards the nationwide institution of a tax on unimproved land values. Considering his work done in Moonta, Craigie resigned from the council and the Labor Party in 1911 to serve as Secretary of the Henry George League of South Australia and form the Single Tax League in order to contest elections and gain support for single tax theory.
Over the next two decades, Craigie unsuccessfully contested federal (including the 1914 Adelaide by-election
Adelaide by-election, 1914
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide on 10 January 1914. This was triggered by the death of Labor Party MP Ernest Roberts.The by-election was won by Labor Party candidate Edwin Yates...
), state and Adelaide City Council elections on the platform of single tax, either as a Single Tax League, Commonwealth Liberal Party
Commonwealth Liberal Party
The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation....
, or Liberal Union
Liberal Union (Australia)
The Liberal Union was a political party resulting from a merger between the Liberal and Democratic Union and the conservatives in South Australia. It lasted from 1910 to 1922 when it became the Liberal Federation....
candidate but still found time to marry, write a raft of treatises on tax reform and, from 1921, serve as editor of the League's newspaper, the People's Advocate.
Craigie finally found electoral success in 1930 in the South Australian House of Assembly Electoral district of Flinders
Electoral district of Flinders
Flinders is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after explorer Matthew Flinders, who was responsible for charting most of the state's coastline. It is a 55,260.6 km² coastal rural electorate encompassing the Eyre Peninsula and...
, which covered the west coast of South Australia, the stronghold of single tax theory in Australia. The onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
had led to widespread public belief that the tax system had become too burdensome and complex and many sought a simpler solution, for which the single tax theory spruiked by Craigie seemed the answer.
Described as "a small, mild and rather insignificant man", Craigie spent his time in parliament advocating, to the exclusion of all other issues, single tax theory, was considered by many to be a colossal bore and his speeches, usually long, were generally very dull. Craigie also had to deal with the enmity of Labor supporters who considered him a rat for leaving the ALP. They showed their displeasure by hurling fruit and attacking him during public meetings.
Nevertheless, Craigie was re-elected to Flinders in 1933 and 1938, the latter as one of 15 independents in a House of 39 members. Fellow independent Tom Stott
Tom Stott
Tom Cleave Stott CBE spent 37 years as an independent member of the South Australian House of Assembly, serving as Speaker of the House from 1962 to 1965 and 1968 to 1970....
attempted to form an independent led government with himself as Premier but Craigie refused to support anyone who did not wish to see single tax theory instituted.
By the 1941 election the electorate had tired of Craigie and his ideas. He had however been elected President of the International Union of Single Taxers in 1939 and continued in this role as well as League Secretary, until his retirement in 1948, thereafter remaining trustee of the Henry George Foundation (Australia).
A savvy investor, Craigie died in Adelaide a wealthy man but with his life's dream unfulfilled. As one commentator noted after his death "He would have been an influential contributor to William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's last ministry; he was out of time and place in South Australia."