Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-04-17
HOW JOHNS FATHER
SAW THE LIGHT.
By w. C. WOOD, NJ. D.


Gray looked grieved; and Johns little
sister, seeing by the old folks's express
ion that John had something very dread
full, puckered up her mouth for cry.
$50 you want to have me divide up
my land, that 1 bought and paid for,
with, a-a-with Jem here, for instance"
said the farmer, finally, looking toward
the hired man as he spoke.
This Interpretation of the united la
Dor pla form seemed rather to commend
itself to Jem, whose face wrinkled into
4 broad smile; but the smile died away
as John explained that that was by no
means what Henry George proposed.
''All he wants." said John, lis to put all
taxes upon land values"
''Oh! that's ALL is it," said Mr.. Gray,
sarcastically. Nothing more, Ell?
Don't want my land; oh, no. Wouldn't
touch it with a ten foot pole-give me
two or three more farms-beg me to take
them, and ship 'em by express with a
present in every lot; throw in a gas
stove, tin horn and chrome, l suppose.
All he wants is to put all the taxes on
the land, is it? Well, you are fool"
COuu SeILtu Iue w iilIC LID
father was taking breath toexplain that
all improvements would be exempted.
Don't see how that would better mat
ters," said his father. ''There'd be just
as much money wanted, and the rate
would rise, of course"
John admitted that the rate per cent.
would be raised until it equaled TIE
rental value of the bare land.
This was red rag to bull, and John
received rather profuse explanation
of his fathers opinion of socialists COM
munists and fools, with gentle intima-
ton that John was of the latter persua-
sion.
John waited till the old man run down
and then ventured the statement that
the rate couldn't be over four per
cent because any quantity of money
could be hired for that on absolute Sc
curity, no tax and long time: govern
ment bonds, for instance.
This raised another storm, but Mr..
Gray finally admitted that four per cent
would take the full rental value.
Now" said John, that would lower
the farmers taxes"
The farmer and the hired man stared
at him in silence, while his motherven-
tured the query. ''How?"
''Why, don't you see, said John, ''the
farmer thinks he is a big land owner,
because he owns hundred acres, maybe.
So he is, by area: but he is not much of
a one by value. BY value he is very lit
tie of land owner and good deal of a
men in the city who own an acre of land,
vacant and idle, that would sell for the
value of fifty or sixty farms, improve
ments and all.
''You pay more rent every year than
the rental value of your farm amounts
to. Every bushel of grain you sell,
every bit of merchandise you buy, must
pass through the cities, the centers of
exchange, and, resting for awhile in
storchousc. wholesale store or mill, is
taxed to pay its rent. You have to sell
your grain for less. and you must pay
more for what you buy, in order that the
dealers in the city can get enough lar
ger profit with which to pay their rents.
Take off the value of the improvements
on your farm and the land value that is
left, if turned into money and invested
at four cent, would not yield sum equal
to one-ifteenth of your annual income
from this farm. In other words, you are
fourteen times as much laborer and capt.
talist as you are land holder.
The holder of city lot worth fifty
times as much as your whole farm, can
hold on to his lot, waiting for a rise in
value, which is sure to come, and he can
tax your products to provide the money
for his rent. and laugh in his sleeve as
he appeals to you to oppose the united
labor party, and tells you they want to
tax the farmer to death. He is the one
who profits by the monopoly of the land,
not the farmer.
IF the tax is taken off from the i'm
provements and put upon the land val
ues you will pay but little, even though
you are charged tue full rental value
OF your land-all that its use is worth"
Mr.. Gray scratched his head refiec-
lively.
WELL" he said at length, eff you can
prove that to me l will admit that |
have been fool not to look it up instead
of believing all the newspapers said
against it. But here is the question:
My farm is highly improved: my neigh
boris is not, although the land is as good
and the farm as we'll situated as mine;
yet you make him pay the same taxes
as me, proportionately of course, to the
size of the farms"
WELL" answered John, ''do you think
he ought to pay less taxes because he is
lazy and you are Industrious? Would
you like to put premium upon SHIFT
lessness and fine a man for being indus
trious? Do you think that because he
won't make good use of an opportunity
he ought to pay less for the opportunity?
''But let us go back to the main ques-
ton, and see if our plan of taxation
would not lower the farmers taxes
''Your farm of hundred acres you
would not sell for a cent less than $50
an acre, or 50, 900 in all That is a good
price; but it is improved property
good buildings, good houses, good fen
ces, wells, orchards and so on. And you
pay on this farm about S65 taxes.
"Now, what are Improvement values
on $4,000 farm?
you have about four miles of fences,
or 1880 rods, worth. on the average, say,
$3.50 rod. The first item to be sub
tracted from the total value of the farm
is, therefore, 1864.
There is a good house, little old
fashioned, perhaps, but roo1ny, cheerful