The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-04-04
SINGLE TAX DEPARTMENT.
THE FARMER AND THE SINGLE
TAX,

1t is favOrite notion OF the prO-p0v'
erty press and platform that the land
value tax will never be accepted by
farmers or small home owners. If that
tax were what its ignorant opponents
describe it these classes would be hos.
tile; but when the farmer and rural
home owner learn what the tax Is, "a
those of New York State win in the
political campaign this fall, they will be
even more eager to adopt it than the
artisan classes of the city have BEEN
w. T. Hopkins, of Enterprise, Kan,
forwards clipping from paper of his
State which gives fair idea of the way
the land value tax is misrepresented to
farmers. After a long statement Of
what he supposes the land value tax to
be and how it would affect the interests
of farmers, the editor says: This is a
plain and simple statement of the
Georgian land tax theory, put in the
vernacular of the common people," 1t
would be better English and nearer the
truth to say that it is statement of the
Georgian land tax theory, put into the
vernacular of an ignorant editor.
According to this Kansas quill, ''under
the George regime, the lawyer, the
doctor, the merchant, the manufacturer
men of every trade and profession
who own no land and who only repres-
ent billions of dollars worth of per
sonal property-will escape all taxation,
and the whole burden will be thrown
upon the farmer and home owner, ex-
cept where business men carry on en-
terprises in their own stores and mills"
There is more ignorance to The thou
sand ems in this quotation than there
are puns in the funniest of Tom Hoods
jingles.
Until we raise up class of lawyers,
doctors, merchants and manufacturers
who can live without land, we shall
have no man of either class who, under
the land value tax can escape his share
of public burdens. They all pay land
value tax now and to the full annual
value Of the land they use; but it goes
into the pockets of landlords instead of
going into the public treasury.
This Kansas editor seems to think
that man who did not own the land
he used would be untaxed. 1t is true
he would not pay any more for the land
than he pays now, but he now pays all
he ought to pay. The trouble is that he
pays the wrong man. He would pay no
less under land value tax except as
the land he used fell in value, but so
long as that land had a value he could
not escape taxation. And he ought not
to pay for any thing but the land value
he appropriates. That, and that alone,
of his wealth is produced by the COM
munity, and belongs to the community;
his personal property and land improve
ments being Of his own production, the
has no right to take them.
When the community compels him to
pay for the land value he appropri-
ates it takes only what belongs to it;
but when it compels him to give up to
It of the products of his labor one pen
ny over and above the land value he
has appropriated it robs him.
1t is not true, however, that lawyers,
manufacturers and doctors
represent billions of dollars worth of |
property. What the astute
Kansas editor means by personal prop
erty may be itemized as railroad stock,
and government bonds, and
20 on OF the value of this class of |
very little is property value |
1t all. So much of corporation stock
and bonds as represents actual labor
products, like rolling stock, rails and |
is property value, and ought to |
De free Of taxes; first, because the com
nunity did not produce these things,
md second, to encourage the produc- !
ion of more. But so much of such |
'tock and bonds as represents special |
privileges and water" is a mere device |
# robbery, bearing relation to the in
lustry of our time similar to what |
'irate ships bore to commerce . few
ago.
When we propose to exempt labor pro
lucts from taxation, we mean labor |
PRODUCTS. As for public franchises that /
re special privileges, we would abolish
hem altogether.
And how about the whole burden of |
axation being thrown upon the farmer
nd home owner?
Inc Kansas editor Will certainly ex- |
lude tenant farmers. It is strange
hat he does not classify tenant farmers
With men of every trade and profes-
ion who own no land;" for surely II |
loctors are to escape taxation tenant
armers viii too. The truth is that ten
mt farmers, like doctors, will pay the
anne ground tax that they do now, ex-
ept as it falls in consequence Of the fall
4 land values, and that what they pay
viii find its way into the public treasury
instead of settling, as it does now, in
he Golfers of landlords.
And why does not the Kansas editor
lastly mortgaged farmers with doc
ors, lawyers and merchants? The
nortgaged farmer is to the extent Of his
mortgage, tenant farmer.
That the whole burden of taxation
vill be thrown upon farm owners and
ome owners is false upon the face of
= How about mine owners? How
bout factory owners? How about
tore owners? How about water front
wners? How about the owners of va