The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-03-14

paid $1,000 for which saves you the
trouble and expense OF making them.
But the earth was made by the Creator
Tor all men, notfor some men to specu-
late Off of others, but for all men to use.
Then who gets the benefit OF this $3.50
which you could have been receiving in
interest had you not been compelled to
put your money into land? Follow it'll
through all the great labarynth OF pro-
duction. to it's destination and you will
find it eventually goes into the pockets
Of some of the many pensioners our
social system OF the day is supporting,
Tor which there is nothing given back.
Take another example. Here isaman
who m to Rapid City in anearlyd day;
he took possession OF a number OF lots,
not for use, but for speculation. He has
made no improvements, but has paid a
little tax, we will say $1,000. He sells
these lots today for $4,000. Here
is $4,000 OF wealth taken from the
aggregate wealth procured by the COM
munity for which nothing is given back.
Now, l want to ask my farmer friends
who pays this vast sum OF money in the
end? Someone actually pays this. Does
it come from the gentle dew that settles
upon the earth by night? Does it come
from the clouds OF summer in the
gently falling rain, or is it brought to
it's recipients by the gentle breezes from
off the ocean? No! 1t comes from the
brawny hand OF toil-the old, gray
haired farmer at his pillow; the miner at
his pick; the railroad engineer at his
throttle; the inventor at his experiment
and the old wash-woman at her tub.
By putting a single tax upon land
values and abolishing all other forms Of
taxation, will do away with this land
speculation and no man would hold
more land than he could use proiitaEly.
| What would be gained? The effect would
be to relieve labor, the user OF land,
from all the present forms OF taxes on
personal property, both direct and in
direct, and to add no other burden to
1T. This rent l have been explaining
would be used and taken in taxation,
which is now taken by the SPECTATOR.
Every user OF land, whether owner OF
renter, pays rent o and then in Hd.
dition this tax on personal property.
say that these men have the right tc
take rent, ever then the single tax would
, be the best mode OF raising yer II
J would certainly be the most easily ait
: cheaply collected. Look at the grca'
t army OF internal revenue and custom
! house officers it would dispense with
The county treasurers OF the scvcra
counties would collect all the taxes, an'
{ there would be no difficulty in detcrmin
ing the value: While it might be tru
that some would be assessed too higI
and some too low, but that is also tru
now with land and everyone knows it j
OF personal property. The farmer i
certainly aware OF the present unfaiI
method OF taxation and how feeble tin
attempt has been to tax all persona
property. The farmer can't hide his
COWS, calves and horses, nor his few
farm implements, but the man with
money, notes and mortgages can easily
do this.
Here | want to call special attention
to this notion OF taxing personal prop.
erty. II you will give this little thought
you will see that in reality this can't b'
| fln,, lNhnn r,,, tr>- tr 40 y 11,n ,,,rnn>
lender on his money, he will add thista
t TO the borrower in additional interest
IT.. When you tax II stock OF goods and IL
@ building they are in, the merchant ado
! this tax to the cost OF his goods, s
, when an importer pays duty on good;
! he adds the duty to the price, and SO OF
n SO we find that the consumer is the Oh
. who pays the tax; and ail this tax: dire
or indirect on personal property or Il
products OF labor, is, in reality, notpai
V until you buy the goods for consunI
II ton. Then see how much more the tt
has cost you than what really got int
the treasury. To illustrate: a man il
ports some goods; he pays the duty; !
y adds this to the price of the goods wit
- a profit on first cost and duty added;
u sells toaretail merchant. The merchal
, sells to the consumer for first cost, dut
u profit on duty and his profit on til
sum. So you see it increases as it go
until you finally pay it. The tax h;
It cost you perhaps one-llalf more thu
IS what actually found it's way into Il
treasury. hope the farmers will gil
this last careful consideration. If tho
only knew the tax they pay indirect
in prices OF goods, they would not su
n nit to it long. LEVI MCGEE.
n concluded Next Week.
r.