Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-24
TAXES ON REAL ESTATE ALONE.

TAXES ON REAL ESTATE ALONE.
There was recently formed in New
York Tax reform association for the
purpose of propagating certain doc
trine concerning taxation that has ap-
peared from time to time in the public
prints. but has never yet been adopted
by any of the numerous parties or
political organizations now struggling
for recognition. The new association
declares it's opposition to taxas on per-
sonal property, and contends that ''real
estate should bear the main burden of
taxation"
This idea of placing the main burden
of taxation on real estate is not novel
one. 1t has been heard before, and the
arguments in its favor are not without
force and certain degree of plausi-
bility. These arguments start with the
proposition that ultimately the tiller of
the soil pays all taxes. Or to put it
differently, all men who pay taxes,
whether real estate owners, renters or
tillers of the soil, are users of the
same. Business cannot 9be carried on
nor any of the many industries be pur-
sued without using real estate. Every
one who pays rent, or who pays board,
or sells goods to one who pays rent, or
who buys from the same, contributes
his share toward taxes that are paid by
real estate. The real estate owner
who pays the taxes, adds them to the
rent charged the occupier of the land,
and the rent which the latter pays af-
fects the price OF whatever he sells or
buys.
The assumption of injustice in the plan
of an exclusive land tax is said to be
based on the erroneous idea that the
owner of the land bears the burden
alone, when in fact he shares it with
all users of land, which are practically
the entire community. If the whole
tax were put upon real estate 1t is con-
tended that the value of it would not
only not be diminished, but on the con-
trary would be enhanced, and for this
reason: The exemption of personal
from taxation leaves it the
more free to be used in the various OPP
erations of industry. And as real es-
tate is valuable in proportion as capt.
tafis employed, the less embarrassed
capital is, the more will its profitable
use enhance the value of the realty af-
fected by it. Take away a given in
dustry that employs a large capital,
and you destroy in a measure the value
Of the land on which it stood. Re-
move several such industries from a
town or city with their aggregate cap
ital and decay follows. Real estate
values would shrink enormously. Tax
ing personal property, say the tax re-
formers, cripples its powers to that ex-
tent, and Indirectly affects the value of
real estate by diminishing its powers
70 pay the necessary taxes imposed.
Besides, personally does not pay its
share of taxes. Itevades in many ways.
Land does and must pay. 1t cannot be |
lid from the assessor. It is said that |
many farmers not possessing a small
part of the wealth owned by some of |
our railroad magnates, pay more taxes
% the state and nation than do the |
after. There is no equity, they say, |
n the present system. It puts pre-
mum on dishonesty and increases the
burden on honesty and integrity. Such |
re the ideas of the tax reformers,
which are given for what they are
worth.