The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-08-06
YOU CAN NOT REACH IT.

YOU CAN NOT REACH IT.
John De Witt Warner In Favor Of Abol-
ishing Personal Property Taxes.
Last Thursday evening John De Witt
Warner delivered an interesting address
to the Manhattan single tax club on
''rhe liberation of personal property
from taxation" He promised his re-
marks by asserting that every commun-
ity should have the right ~ say how it
should raise tho money to support itself
and pay its dues to the State and gener-
al governments. In his opinion direct
taxation was the fairest method, though
there were many people who did not
think SO.
Money must be raised to support gov
eminent, said Mr.. Warner, and the
question for us to consider is how it can
best be raised SO as to fall equally on all
citizens in proportion to the advantages
they receive from the community. Is
our present method good enough? 1
think not. The system of taxing per-
sonal property is universally conceded
to be failure, opening the door to
fraud, robbery and blackmail. Honest
men pay it; but men who are willing to
liz always escape. We can not reach
personal property to tax it. Read the
daily report of bank deposits; you will
see that they amount to more than tho
entire sum on which personal property
taxes are paid. A FIRE in one of our
large down town stores shows, in the
estimate of loss incurred, how immense
must be the amount Of personal
property in goods in this city
subject to tax, but on which no tax
| is collected. A fire in Fifth or Madi-
son avenue mansion shows how great is
the amount in furniture and articles Of
house adornment which also failed to be
taxed. And evcn when assessors do try
to reach personsal property when they
20 behind the oath OF the person liable
to taxation-and find property not in
! Guided in the saskatchewan then it is
almost impossible to collect the tax.
Some years ago, despite his oath that
tho value of his personal property
amounted to only some nominal sum,
the assessors, on facts in their posses
sion, assessed the late William II. Van.
derbilt on 5000, OO0 He was cornered,
it is true; but he said he wouldn't pay
it, because there were other people, to
his positive knowledge, who were rich
but who did not pay a cent personal
taxes. And in the end the matter Yas
compromised on basis of $4,000, 900,
which all will agree was not ten pei
cont. of the value of the taxable person
al property held by him. He wasn't al
together wrong in refusing to pay the
tax-nobody pays 1t If they can help it
The truth about this thing is, every
body knows that the personal property
ak is a humbug. The bureau for the
collection OF personal taxes is nothing
more nor less than bureau authorized
by law to levy blackmail on our citizens
1t rarely makes a return to the city; ant
half n dozen times within comparativel.
few years it has been robbed by TIN
officials conducting it.
New York City Is the great CONNER
cial center of this country. Toit all tn
capital OF the United States would drift
if there were no bars in the way. Blu
what is the fact? The personal proper
ty tax on banks and corporations drive
them to other States and countries t
organize-in other words, capital
driven away.
The proper thing to tax is real estat
1t is here and must stay here. All tn
progress of civilization, all the increas
of population, benefits real estate an
increases its value, SO that 1t should b
taxed for government support. II W
would remove all personal taxes ther
would be a wonderful increase in tn
volume of business, end an increase
demand for workers. While ! am
favor. said Mr.. Warner, OF putting q
taxes on land values, l recognize tia
the public mind is not yet prepared
accept that idea; SO it is wisdom to
only as far as the public will 60 wit
us. Having lifted that tax, we will hay
made the lifting of other taxes TIL
much easier.
At the close of his address Mr.. Warm
invited questions.
A Brother Farmer, Des Moines. -Ho
: is this for ground value? / wonder
; the farmers can see the differenc
a This clipping is from the Chicago Tim
!. of May - would like to hear fro
l. some one-farmer preferred-whe
Is the single tax on land values wou
- fall:
Q The lease Of the property bounded
Dearborn, jackson and Quincy stree
where the new Northern hotel is to
erected. has finally been effected q
was filed for record yesterday afternot
l Eugene s. Pike, the owner. leases t
block to the Northern Hotel Compa
for ninety-nine years at an ann
rental of sos, 600 for the first two ye
and $4,000 per annum for the remain'
=, of the term. The company is compo
II Of Messrs. Eden, Huplburt, ChAssai
D Bssabsm ma Others Al least eAo