The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-11-19

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derstand thenn.r
But tho great objection to Tie liesase
systsm 10 it, repreasing influence On pri-
vate enterprise. It 10 tho great ally ol
monopolies. A large factory, an immense
Wholesale hoase, . commission businesa
! that calculates in the millions, profession
al man whose Income 10 among the tens Of
thousands, pays in many cases only the
same license to the government a. the
humble rival whose efforts are just budding
into activity. In some instances attempts
are made to classify licenses by the extent
of business, but this is always and neces-
sarily an exceedingly limited classification.
Thus the great are lightly taxed with q
sum which is as nothing in their business
while beginners are almost or entirely
crushed out by q demand often identically
the same a. with their mighty rivals and
| always greatly disproportioned to their
| relative amounts of business.
A young man with experience, knowl-
edge Of his business, and every capacity to
conduct it safely and prosperously, has,
perhaps but little capital. He must, there
fore, start on very limited scale, yet
with his energy and skill he is almost GER
tain to build up his undertaking to proper
lions which will be not only profitable to
himself, but conducive to the s1aeral pros
perity. Tho extinguisher Of license
comes down on him. The City Treasurer
and the State Treasurer claim as much
money for their permits as he is able to
put in his whole business, and his enter
prise becomes impossible. An immense
amount of ability and energy is thus
gradually crushed out and the big concerns
grow fatter and fatter secure from the only !
rivalry which would be really dangerous
to them and profitable to the public.
The contrary Of this would be the true |
policy of an enlightened civil control. |
Skill, competency and the spirit of enter
prise ought to be attracted and encouraged,
not repealed and discountenanced. Ability
is not always coupled with capital. Arti-
Fans, manufacturers and mechanics ought
to be induced to come among us and estab-
lish those thousand works which must al
ways combine to make the thoroughly
prosperous community. Enlightened rulers
before now have known how to secure the
presence of such persons at great ex-
pense and by offering extraordinary in
ducements. We haughtily bid them be-
gone from our limits unless able to come
down handsomely for the privilege of OPEN
ing their mines of wealth in our midst,
1t is scarcely necessary to notice the ar
gument Of certain short-sighted persons
who say that all taxation being placed on
real estate would be ruinous to property
holders. 1t is easy to show that all taxa
ton imposed on real estate in such a city
as this comes out of the pockets, not of the
owner, but of the tenant. Rents rise in !
proportion to the tax, otherwise rea, estate J
would be worse investment than any j
other and it would sink in value until q
is price came to proper relation with it's 7
'ents. But all history shows that real es-
ate rises in value in cities adopting the p
enlightened policy above advocated. Bush r
less becomes greatly enlarged, q new
'ctivity is infused into enterprise, popula. 4
ion increases, facilities of all kinds multi o
'ly, wealth seeks field where its opera. q
ions are untrammeled by foolish legisla- =
ion, and property holders reap q golden D
arrest from the great demand for Offices e
nd residences. Free ports are proyerbially p
rosperous. Let Us have free Mart. =,
EDITORIAL AND OTHER ITEMS. p
San Francisco contributions for Chicago will "