Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-09-06
SINGLE TAX PLATFORM.

llllhN VI lNAtS SAW biiN WA i"''S" ~
che value of laud, irrespective OF
improvements.
Since IT, all our states we now levy
some tax on the value of land, the SIN
Gle tax can We Instituted by the simple
and easy Way Of abJlishing, one aIor
another, all the taxes uow levied, ana
commensurate Increase the tax on
land values, until we draw uron that
one source for all expenses OF goveru-
mCnt: the revenuC being dIvdeu ne
tween local governments, sla'c gov
crnments, and the general govern
ucnt. as the revenue from direct taxes
i now divided between the local and
state governments, or the direct as.
sess!nent being made by the general
government upon the states and PAID
by them fron the revenues collected
in This munuer
Tho single tax is not a tax on ianu'
and therefore would not tall on the
use of land aud become tax on Ia
Dor.
II isatax. not on land, but on the
value of land. Thus it would not 1aii
on all land, but only on valuable land,
and on that not in proportion 10 inc
use made of it, but i'll proportion 10 It's
yalue-the medium which the user
of the land must pay to the owner
either in purchase money or IN rent
for the permission to use valuaole laiiu'
II would thus be q tax, not on The Use
or Improvement of land, but on the
ownership of land, taking what would
otherwise 90 to the owner as owner,
and not as user.
Tn assessment under the single tax
all values created by individual use or
Improvement would be excluded, and
the only value taken into consid-
Grafton would be the value attaching
to the bare lands by reason OF neign.:
borhood, etc. Thus the farmer would
have no more taxes to pay than the
speculator who held similar piece OF
land idle, and the man who on city
lot erected valuable building would
be taxed no more than the man VINO
held similar lot vacant. -,
The single tax, in short, would call
upon men to contribute to the pubic
revenues not in proportion to what
they produce or accumulate, but in
proportion to the value of the natural
opportunities they hold. 1t would
compel them to pay just as much lor
holding land idle as for putting it to
its fullest use.
The single tax therefore, would
l. Take the weight Of taxation on OF
the agricultural districts where land
has little or no value irrespective OF
improvements, and put it OH towns
and cities where bare land rises TO O
value of millions Of dollars per acre.
Q. Dispense with the multiplicity OF
taxes and a horde of tax gatherers,
simplify government and greatly re-
duce its cost.
3. Do away with the fraud, corrup'
ton and gross inequality inseparable
from our present methods OF taxation,
which allow the rich to escape while
they grind the poor. Land cannot DC
hid or carried off. and its value can be
ascertained with greater ease ana GER
tainty than any other.
d Give us with all the world as per-
feet freedom Of trade as now exists De-
tween the states of our union, thus en-
abIing cur people to share through
free exchanges in all the advantages
which nature has given to other coun'
tries. or which the peculiar skill o.
other people has enabled them to at
tain. 1t would destroy the trusts
monopolies, and corruption which arr
the outgrowths of the tariff. ltWouio
do away with the fines and penalties
now levied on any one who improves
a farm. erects a house, builds ma
chine, or in any way, adds to the gen
eral stock of wealth. 1t would leave al
free to apply labor or expcnd cap
ital I'm production or exchange with
ont fine or restriction, and would leav'
TO each the full product OF his exer
ton.
Z. It would, on the other hand, by
taking for public uses that vain,
which attaches to land by reason oil
the growth and improvement OF INT
community, make the holding OF liant
improbable to the mere owner apC
profitable only 10 the user. 1t woult
thus make it impossible for specula
tors and monopolists to hold natura
opportunities unused Or only half used
and would throw open to labor the il
Irritable field of employment whicl
the earth offers to man. 1t woui'
thus solve the labor problem, do ava.
with involuntary poverty, raise wage
in all occupations to the full earning
ofiabor, make over production impos
sible until all human wants are salts
fed, render labor-saving inventions
blessing to all, and cause such a
enormous production and such a