Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-09-25
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
THE SINGLE TAX WILL DOT.

| ly on Our Platform.
| The Labor Advocate, of Birmingham.
| Ala, is the official organ of the trades
council OF that city, and is Endorsed by
the Knights of Labor and the Farmers
Alliance of Alabama. 1t is an exponent
| of the principles of trades unionism, but
especially advocates the single tax, and
| ballot reform. Here is it's argument in
favor of the single tax:
| Unemployed labor means dull times
| for business, but the rent collector
makes his unfailing monthly round, and
gas and water bills must be met, rain or
| shine.
To aggravate matters, the assessor
now calls upon every citizen for a state
ment OF his property, that large per-
centage of its value may be taken for
public use.
Has a lot owner erected building,
thus giving employment to labor and
creating business? The city and State
will punish him by taxing the value thus
created.
Has merchant a large stock of
goods on hand, the production of which
has given employment to labor? The
State must have share of their value
| also.
Even the household furniture Of the
poorest men and the most unfortunate
women must be taxed by the sovereign
people.
Is this Just? Is it sensible? To tax
improvements is to discourage the en-
ployment of labor. Taxing goods has
the same effect. Taxing the poor mans
furniture is no better than highway rob-
berry.
Our manufacturers say they can not
compete with Europe in the production
of goods. If we take the taxes off the
manufacturers plants and products, he
then can compete with them.
| If we take the taxes off houses, goods
and furniture. the cost of living will be
| less. Wages are the last thing that should
| be reduced, for good wages mean good
times. Reduce the workingman's abil
ity to buy, and hard times are the nee
essary result.
We also hear the senseless cry of over
production at the very time when those
whose labor produces all wealth are suf-
| fering from want of the things they
have produced.
| Ruinous taxation is the main cause of
there being such few manufacturing en-
terprises in the South. In many States
these industries are wholly or partly
exempt from taxation, but here all the
costly buildings and machinery are tax
| ed to the fullest extent, some paying as
high as 81, 600 per year.
| We want boom, not boom in sand
lots, but boom in business, in building
and manufacturing, and legitimate en-
terprises of every kind. We want to make
work plenty and business brisk, and place
| our city on broader basis of prosper
| ity. Therefore we must abandon this
stupid plan of taxing industry and en-
terprise.
We have great natural advantages that
should give US the foremost rank in al
most every branch of manufacture.
Work can be performed to advantage
every day in the year. 1t is never too
! hot nor too cold. All we need is that
we shall cease to hamper and discourage
our industries by unwise, unjust and
ruinous taxation.
Taxes are necessary, if justly laid and
honestly expended. they are a benefit,
not an injury. 1t pays to have effective
fire and police departments, good sew
ers and well-paved and lighted streets.
Then why do we grumble at paying for
them?
The principal reason is that those who
| pay the taxes do not get their just pro-
portion of the benefits. Some pay heav-
| lily and get but little benefit, while 9TH
ers who are greatly benefited pay little
or nothing.
Who pays them?
The man who is Industrious and en-
! farpriCiro. 10 hn hni1dc
factory or business block. Such a
! man increases the value of every foot of
land in the city, and we discourage him
by filming him foa every nail he drives
! and for avery brick he lays.
Is it any wonder that he grumbles
when We tax him for giving employ
ment to labor?Is itany wonder that men
are out of work when we punish capital
for employing them? We have adapted
the Turkish method of taxation: when
you see any thing, grab it"
1t is great injustice to tax one man
for the benefit of others, when he has
already increased the value of their
property by his improvements. The
burden of taxation falls mainly upon
the man who improves, while those who
stand in the way of improvements are
left off with a nominal tax.
This is not equitable. Those who re-
ceive the benefit of taxes spent should
pay them. This is but simple justice,
and the only question should be who
reaps the benefits?
Do public Improvements increase the
value of buildings? No; but they do in
crease the value of land. Therefore, if
we wish to tax the man who receives
the benefit, we must tax the value of
the land only.
1t may be said that the rate would
have to be raised. Well, suppose it
were, what difference would it make
whether a man paid $50 year on his
house and lot or $50 a year on his lot
alone? Not any; but it would make a
great difference to the speculator, who
blocks improvements by asking big
prices for vacant lands.
Mathematical demonstration will
show that if all the taxable land in this
city was assessed at it's market value,
and all other property exempted, it
would not be necessary to raise the rate
in order to obtain the full amount of
taxes now levied. If we want our city
to prosper let US endeavor to have a
change made in our constitution and
laws that will enable US to adopt the
common sense pla1 of exempting the
products of industry and enterprise, and
taxing nothing but land values. Land
values are created by the community, |
and il 10 nothing INIT nlain and Simple |