The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-24
TAX REFORM.


1t is patent to all thinking people,
that the single tax agitation now
attracting attention throughout the
country, is opportune to the people
of Minnesota. With 5000, 100000, of
mortgage Indebtedness on the real
property in the state, three fourths
of all the live stock tied up in chattel
mortgages, thousands of the people |
Of this young state almost, and many |
quite, ut the point of hPggarY, the
discussion by the people of economic |
theories and social reforms certainly |
seems timely. The single tax re-
formers say that all taxes ought to be
removed from personal property. that
u tax upon whatever is created Ivy the
hand of man is Il tax on labor, that
taxes should be levied on the values
of land alone; that such value is
created by and depends upon the
presence of population; that as popu'
latiOn in given community increases
or dimmishes the values of land in
that community rises or falls; that
the values of land are artificial values
created by the growth and presence
of population, and therefore. the
values of land belong of right to the
whole of the people constituting that
population, and so, are the proper,
and the only proper subjects of tax
alton. 4 tax reformer would. pro.
badly illustrate the truth of the pro-
position, that the values of land in a
community depend upon the presence
and growth Of population in that
community in the following manner:
Should three fOurths Of the people or
the village of Morris change resi-
dence to some other village or locality
during the present week. and no
prospect that other people would
come in to take their places, the re-
suit would he that the values of lots
in the village of Morris would imme-
diately fall, and so of amy other village
or city in the United States under
like circumstances. The single tax
theory is bitterly opposed by the
rich and the powerful everywhere;
by all those who wish to speculate by
the rise in land values, that is con.
tinually taking place where pOpula
tiOn is increasing. An argument by
the opponents of tax reform against
the exemption Of personal property
from taxation sounds like this: TIC
exempt personal property from tax
alton would enable railroad corpora
tions and very rich men,in cities tc
escape paying taxes which they
ought to pay" Leaving aside rail
road corporations for the present, lei
the opponent of tax reform ascertain
by an investigation, easily to be made
whether under the present system Of
taxation rich men in the cities Of
anywhere else do now pay their pro
portionate share of personal propert!
taxation. The following correspond
ence from the Minneapolis Journal
illustrates the working Of part of TIT
system of taxation now in vogue
Verify there is need for tax reform
1.-THE following figures are from
the estates of Minneapolis men VIII,
have died during the past year, ant
the tax list of 1887. They show tn
amount of personal property retnrnet
for assessment and the actual amour
! possessed by them as revealed by TIL
inventory of their estates in til
probate court records. They need n
comment and may open the eyes o
= some men Of moderate means:
| Amt return Amt pos
ed in 1857, sessed a