The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-11-28

need Of public revenue, there is no land
value. It is only as civilization adj
vances and places grow that land values
come. There to my mind is the intend
ed source Of public revenue. There is
the source supply corresponding always
with the natural demands.
It is as clearly to my mind the APP
pointed source of the natural need as is
the mix that comes into the mothers
breast with the birth Of the child the
appointed nourishment of that child.
There is the source of taxation that
may be drawn upon without any temp
tation to corruption. lying or dishonesty.
Land lies out Of doors aud cannot be
covered up. 1t cannot be hid. There
it lies to be seen by all, and land val
ues Of all values are the most certain
and the most definite. Their values
are most easily ascertained. I can come
here iuto your city perfect stranger
of values. I can look at piece Of
property in your town, go to we'll in
formed and reliable real estate dealer,
give him the size, location, streets and
surroundings, and he can tell me pretty
nearly what the value of that land is.
If / ask him what the value of that
house is, he will have to take an ex-
pert and make an examination, and
then perhaps there will be difference
OF opinion; still less can he tell me of
the value of the possessions of the man
who lives in that house. The land is
the place to get the certainty of values.
There is the value that can be taken
for the use Of the city, assessing and
collecting the tax with the maximum
of certainty and with the minimum Of
cost and trouble. Land values are the
most certain and easiest attainable; and
with such system in vogue we could
dispense with spies. searches and the
great army Of tax gatherers. There is
the tax that needs the moral require
ment, ssThou shalt not steal"
We say industry is virtue; we say
thrift is virtue; We say that energy
and progress are virtues we say that
man ought to work and save in order
to provide for his old age and for
those who are dependent upon him.
Yet, as We are now doing, we are en-
couraging Indebtedness, and encourage
ing people to get rich by it. When a
man by hard work and economic living
living does accumulate some property.
down comes the tax gatherer. Why?
Because you have worked and because
you have saved. therefore you have got
to pay the community. IF there is q
sacred right to property, is not this
moral wrong, and being moral wrong,
is it not an injury, and is it not mex
pedieni? Is not Colonel Ensley right,
and are we not fools. to tax the goose
that lays the golden egg? A tax that
would take the value that attaches to
land with the growth of the community
gives to the community that which be-
longs to the community. 1t renders to
Caesar what blopgs to Caesar. All
over the civilized werld men suffer and
labor seems to drag. aud the very power
that produced all wealth finds difficulty
in giving employment to labor. A
difficulty SO great that it makes employ
ment a boon. What is tie cause?
Seek and search, and you will see this
one thing if you go to the bottom.
There is no reason in the world that
where men are willing to work they
should lack the opportunity to work.
There is no natural reason.