Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-25
TIME TO CHANGE.
Discrimination in Favor of the Wealthy
as Against the Poor in Taxation.
The Nom Residents Land Should Be Taxed at
its FRIlsnlue and Force Him to Sell
Of Become Settler.
WICHITA FALLS, TEX. Sept. %, 1889.

4
10 The Gazette.
in THE GAZETTE of the 2lst your
| Washington, D. c., special contains an
interview with Hon E. L. Dunlap of
| Victoria, Tex. Among other subjects
discussed by the gentleman from the
Texas coast was that of the assessment
of property improved and unimproved,
! in Texas, on which subject he (SIr. Dun
| lap expressed himself as follows:
Is there anything Of importance coming be-
fore the next legislature?''
lone of the most important measures which
viii receive attention will be act compelling
the assessment of unimproved lands at the same
!dIe as improved lands, Inc PreSen1 ulscrlh!-
NATION amounts to line on industry, and IT
will be removed -
The gentleman is right, and speaks5ehe
MIND Of tens Of thousands of good citiA,
zens of Texas
That there is "fne inn
posed on the man who improves
and cultivates the land in Texas IS plain
to all. Instead of favOring and assisting
the actual settler, it is the large nom
resident land owner that is favored.
1t is high time that the discrimination
in favor of the wealthy as against the
poor in the matter of taxation ceased.
Just as long as those who own immense
tracts of land can carry them by paying
nominal tax, just so long will they do
So Their land should by all means be
assessed as high if not higher than i'm
proved land. There should be some en-
couragement given and inducements
offered to those who show by their
actions and work that they
intend making Texas their home.
There are those in Texas who own
thousands of acres of land that con-
tribute nothing TO the upbuilding of the
state, or the town or section where their
land is located Who Will neither dis
pose of the land at fair prices nor i'm
prove 1t in any way, but, as the county
and town are improved by the actual
settlers and men of small means, those
wealthy land owners keep raising the
pTic8s of their land in proportion to the
WORK done by the poor people. This
wG1Ild not seem so hard were it not for
ne fact that the land owned and I'M
5bfoved by the small farmer is assessed
for double that of the large land
owner. Hence the man that contributes
nothing to the upbuilding Of the country
is encouraged to continue that policy
while the man that does contribute and
assist in the development of the country
Is uu6u OF Id&6G lot 50 uOluS. III
the early days of some of our Western
Nebraska, Kansas and other
states-the actual settler was discrimi-
mated against in the same manner as he
is now in Texas, and the large land
owner held his land for higher prices.
The representatives of the people finally
saw the injustice being done the actual
settler, and the result was the unim-
proved land was assessed ct its full value
and the owner was compelled to as
sist in paying for good school
buildings, new bridges, good roads and
public improvements generally. The
non residents were made to share in the
expense as well as the profits, and they
finally became actual settlers or disposed
of their land to those who did. This
same policy put in practice in Texas VIII
do for our state what it did for other
states. 1t is but right and proper it
should be done. There are some of our
land owners who would no doubt oppose
this proposition, but the interest of the
majority should be considered and it is
TO be hoped it viii. tony HOWARD.