St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-06-29
Land Values.

Editor DEMoCRAT:-Some time since L saw
statement IN the Democrat, to the effect
that party had started fifteen years ago
with a yoke OF oxen, and now owned $50 acres
OF iand, steam gin. a quantity of live stock
etc. You remarked that any body. with indus
try, could do the same.
| am sure you make that remark without
thinking. If you had thought for n moment
you could have perceived that the effect Of one
man buying land is to advance its price, and
make 1t more difficult for the next purchaser
ton cost $40. per acre; by the time the last of
the 5000 heads Of families in ST. Landry who
have no land, bought $50 acres. the price would
have reached 500 per acre.
The effect of buying corn or -four. or rice or
cotton, is to cause more of these articles to be
produced; but it is not in the power of man
totncrease the surface of the earth. AS a mat
ter OF fact, party purchased a lot of land at
sl5 per acre, on which he erected Il steam gin.
barn, and several neat cottages. The result
was that the price Of the unsold portion OF the
same sSa tract was advanced to $40 per acre, The
gave emptoyments to labor, had his taxes in
creased three fold while the party who did
nothing who in fact by the advance in the
nclehbor, was not additionally taxed Thus
the man OF industry was pur ished for his en-
terprise, while the man who checked the enter
prise OF Others, was rewarded for his idleness
The result of this abolncnable system, is TO re-
ward the idle, at the expense of the indus
tri0us.
1dleness tends 10 poverty, and industry to
wealth and that state OF society must surely
ne wrong where opposite conditions prevail
Ii is true that occasionally one man rises from
the ranks OF poverty, but he does so at the eS-
pense OF some less fortunate man. 1t is not
his fault. but the fault Of our social system
No one will deny that the Improvement Of a
tract OF land, causes all the land in its vicinity
to increase in value. The system under which
man IS taxed on bis personal property and
improvements aud the increased value inlpart-
ed to rnmproved land, by reason eff these i'm
prnvements remaining in stotn qno on the tax
rolls, is fine upon industry, and a reward TO
idlencss. The contrary system ought to pre-
vali. All taxes should be collected on the va
Tue OF land as basis, irrespective Of improve
ments or use. The value OF improvements is a
value which ls caused by a mans own indus
try; the value OF land irrespective of improve
ments arises from the industry and enterprise
OF the community as whole. If any truth is
the fruits of his labor. Under n system which
taxes man in proportion to his industry, the
industrious are impoverished in order that he
VINO docs nothing may live and thrive
we nave made Il rough estimate that land
values in the United States amount to $50. 600
DOC. 900, and tax of per cent would amount
to 81 100000 900. This for all purposes, national
and local. 1t is a well established fact III So
clal science. that the value of land exactly
equals personal property and improvements
on the land over an area equal to a city or q
values only, are many: A tax on land values
does not discourage Industry. 1t encourages
industry. by destroying all i. Dtive for holding
land on speculation the value of land is easily
:sscertalned. The value of personalities and
improvements cannot be ascertained, even ap-
proximately A tax on land values would in
sure to the public. who created the values. In
tariff tax. five dollars goes to private iriivi-
duais, for every dollar which reaches the treas
ury. Any tax which Is levied for11he purpose
OF building up private entsrpGnaiJ, or which
has that effect, Intended or not, e < robbery
The danger signal i out, andoI will be wise
to heed it, Natures laws operate silently, hut
lrresistably. Their infraction involves PENAL
ty from which there is no escape. What can
be more monstrous than that those who pro-
duce all wealth should be poor, and that those
who control the natural resources created for
mans use, and without which he must die. |
labor of other men.
We are confronted with problem which ws |
must solve, or die When we behold in what |
little respect the law is held it becomes us to !
ook into the matter and see if it is worthy of |
respect, Surely We will not hesitate to amend |
anu change IL found to be in cOntrayention of |
hose laws which God himself hath wrought |
INTO the nature of things. We will change |
men, not merely because failure to do SO !
Involves serious consequences, but because we
10 not desire any advantage over our fellow
men.
surely that cry of distress which il going
ip from the unemployed, must mean some
hlng. When the little baby cries, the mother
ooks for misplaced pin. Let us not regard
he cry of distress which proceeds from our
elbow mon, lest in the days to come we I've re- |
used mercy. Nothing can cure the evils flow
ng from injustice bnt complete Justice
events are moving fast
RUsTIcrs