The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-03-10

cost OF running streets through IL, theu
steadily doomed up after regular speeu'
latlVe lodges, and within two or three
years $4,000 worth had been sold, with
more than half of the original tract still
in the mOnOpOlizing gentlman's posses
| sion. By what process of common sense
| justice was this enhanced cost put onto a
few acres of land? Are such smart deals
of speculative trade of benefit to the
peOplep If this land had been honestly
taxed to the same grade as that of the
wOTkman's little homestead, Is il not
clear that 1t would long before have
"eaten its own head off" from lack of
improvements and been forced tO.a sale
at legitimate valuep But bad as, this is
1t Is not the worst.
Albeit, the high price Of land Is, to a
great extent, fictitious; from the opera
tiOns of speculative greed, 1t controls
the rate OF rents. Invariably, as the
value of lots increase, landlords demand
higher pay for their tenements, stores
and workshops, and to such point has
this finally reached, that renters of pro-
perty are almost afraid to set price for
fear 1t may not be as much as the help
less tenant could be forced to pay.
What is the result? That 1t strains the
small manufacturer and stOrekeeper TO
his utmost TO meet the eXOrbitant rent
account, and constantly lands large
numbers of them into hopeless bank
ruptey. do not dispute that this sort
IT thingsis legal. But l demands it
just2 Is it in any degree in accordance
with the true principles of Christian
ciVilizatiOnS Is it right that the great
body of the toilers whose brain and hand
labor has made the city what it Is, and
from whose earnings Is drawn the
largest portion OF the heavy weight Of
taxation the city's government and
costly improvements demand, should be
thus deprived Of the power to acquire
shelter above their headsp 1t will not
help the matter to cry beer house and
want or thrift. l shall reach that sad
phase Of the question by-and-by. But 1t
has nothing to do with this mOnOpOliZ-
ing clutch on the land that should be
divided into homes for the people, except
In the supreme folly of voters permitting
such injustice to obtain. 1t goes with
out need of proof, that the larger mum
Der OF the speculatOrs who held the ciLy's
large unlmprOved real estate to compel
big prices, do not pay one dollar of tax
for all that makes their land valuable.
The mere trifie they do pay, while keep
Ing their property for rise, Is paid back
to them from two to three hundred fold
when the ultimate fictitious value has
been attained. And from this. in large
degree, springs our present high cost Of
living. The stOrekeeper pays such ex-
orbitant rent that he is compelled to
charge increased rate of profit. So with
the manufacturer, increasing the cost
OF his wares, and in the end the work
man has to bear the biggest share of the
OnerOus burden. Moreover, itaets disas-
trOusly on the health and morals of the
workman. With the cOmmOnest kind
nf q hnndn OF 10
OF rooms up stairs in shabby neighbOr-
hood at 81 to 80, the great mass Of Ordi-
nary wOrkmen are compelled to double
up in tenements, where neither refined
decency nor cleanliness is possible.
Where families are compelled TO sleep
huddled together in a single room mo-
rality Is sure to be at a sad discount, and
health must inevitably deteriOrate. Is
1t any wonder that so many of our poor
est wOrkmen seek the sOlace of the groR
shOpp Does it not need some stimulant
to lift man out of the dregs of degra-
datiOn and discomfort that so many
families are living IMP What Is the re-
medyp Tax every foot Of unimprOVed
land in the city to the full measure Of a
wOrkman's homestead. Sir James Gra-
ham wrote: "The great object OF pOliti-
cal economy Is not the accumulation of
wealth, but the distribution of it," True
as gospel; and wOrkmen should hold 1t
as cardinal maxim that the chief object
of legislation should be to diffuse the
benefits that spring from labor into the
largest number Of hands, and throw
every possible obstacle in the way of
Capitalization, whether of wealth or
power, in the interest of the whole peO-
pie. Hence the rate of tax on unim-
proved land in cities should be increased
IN regular yearly ratio, for the express
purpose of forcing it's sale out of specu-
latiye hands. This is so important that
wOrkmen should make 1t an inflexible
determination to vote for no legislator
nor governor who is not pledged to i'm
pose this needed remedy against land
speculation at the earliest practicable
moment.
W. WENTWORTH, Workman.
Cleveland, February %.