The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-22
SINGLE TAX AND THE FARMER.


SINGLE TAX AND THE FARMER.
| If there is any one class of men more
Than another that would be benefited
Dy single tax, it certainly is the farmer
And whyp Because all taxes must bt
PAID with actual wealth. and in the
production of wealth there are three
factors: Land, labor and capital.
Labor Is the active producing factor
Land and capital the silent auxilaries
Labor produces. Land and capital
assists.
With our present system of taxation
the land pays but small portion of the
taxes, anu us capital produces no wealth
II can pay no taX@S. Capital can only
receive its share of the wealth produced
after labor has produced it, and as the
FARMER is the principal producer, the
farmer pays the bulk Of the taxes. The
farmer may delude himself with the
idea that capital pays the bulk of the
taxes. If it does, it first draws it from
the producer. This appears so clear
that further comment is unnecessary
NOW the bulk of the taxes clearly
comes Off the farmer. Two things are
as clearly to the farmers interest.
First, to reduce the amount of taxes
to be paid can only be done by reducing
The expenses of the Government,
Second, to get as much assistance as
possible to help pay taxes. Under the
present system of taxation it costs
more to collect the taxes than our
Government gets in taxes
We have direct taxes and indirect
taxes Whnn VI foEn int
ton the army of revenue officers with
nigh salaries, and trunk inspectors at
the various ports. The army of officers
whose business it is to see that whisky
pays its tax, tobacco and cigars are
stamped, matches are stamped, build
lngs, offices and equipments for these
armies OF men, courts, and lawyers fees
III trying tax evaders, and a thousand
and one other incidental expenses, all
OF which must be paid, besides what
the Government must have for it's
wants. Then again take the army of
assessors, auditors and collectors neces-
sary to collect the direct tax. Compare
all this to the cost of collecting the
single tax and practically valuing the
land and it would be like one to
thousand, the bulk of which is drawn
from the farmer and he wonders why
it don't pay to farm.
Second, as the farmer is III for the
principal part of the taxes, the more
help he can get to pay them the better
for him.
If the land, and the land only. was
taxed according to it's rental value it
would be all the taxes the Government
needs. There are millions of acres of
valuable land held on speculation in
and around our cities, towns and vii |
lageS awaiting social growth to enhance
their value, on which they pay nominal |
taxes If they pay any, which would |
come to the assistance of the farmer,
Then again we have some thirty mil |
mons OF acres of valuable timber, coal |
and mineral lands held by spectators
which pay but small tax for its sur
face value which would come to the
aid of the farmer.
Then there is something like $780,
DOOOOO of acres held by the various
railroads which is exempt from taxa
tion, and would come to the aid of the
farmer
Then again we have some 25,OOOOOO
IF acres of valuable land held by for
9ign syndicates, that would have small
tenement shanties to keep down taxes,
would come to the farmers aid.
Then again, if farmer saw fit to
make his home attractive, comfortable
md convenient, he could do it without
my fear of an additional assessment of
axes. But politicians will cry it would
,ut down the price of your land. If
'ou are a real estate speculatOr and
want money, you don't belong to our
lass, and don't want single tax. If it
uts down the price of your land it will
ut down the price of. everybody's land,
md you will always be able to get the
anne amount of land. 1t is the hiph
rice of land interest on money, and
Ugh taxes that makes farming unprof-
table. The object of single tax is to
et land in shape that it can be uti- S
zed with profit for the benefit of the
Ihole people and not for the benefit of t
and land spectators only. S
p. Il. Barnum, the great American l
bowman, is accused of saying that the t
american people wanted to be hum v
ugged, and that disposition to be swim t
led shows but little signs of dying out. 1
Lhen the disposition of the majority n
IllC AllCllCdl peOpl6 W KNOW ClG - -
nth and to do what is right and fair, +
lther than to follow leaders that prom C
e them some selfish advantage over s.
hers. They will have little difficulty u
determining that no system of taxa D
on is worth having that cannot be L
stly and impartially executed; and ,
at no rights of property are worth q
wing which interferes with the well A
ing and development Of society as a IL
hole.
How long will the majority of the d,
merican people prefer to perpetuate la
stems of taxation which delude the &C
nerican workmen with the idea that G!
can gain something by starving his M
ropean brother; which delude the w
,mer with the notion that he can de- sp
e some scheme to take the advant- th
9 of the residents of cities; such de- pr
lie the capitalist into the belief that Ro
class will gain in the long run by WI
orting wealth from the mass of la EN
'ers under the guise of taxing them as
order to be able to raise their wages
!. l.thenpocketing the raise themselves.
A. j. KINTz. J