The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-03-21


The speculator from whom he bought
; however, only pays 81 year tax on tn
adjoining hundred. acres of equally q
valuable land Has the farmer hurt an,
one by improving his hundred acr'
tract? II not, why should he be fnet
Tor 1T? On the contrary, b. settling OF
one hundred acres of that thousand acrs
tract he has made the nine hundred
acres more valuable, and when othol
hard working farmers settle in the
noighborhood. they, by their labor, by
their common energy and enterprise
will add yearly to the value of the spec.
ulator's holdings. But will they gel
any advantage from this enhancement
in the value OF his land, which they
themselves have caused? Will -hc give
them any portion of this uncarned incre.
ment which they themselves have pro.
duccd? On the contrary. should one OF
these farmers desire to increase the size
OF his farm, or to scttle one of his chill
dren on adjoining land, he will have to
pay tho speculator for tho very enhance.
ment in the value of the land which has
resulted from the application OF his own
labor upon his own land.
The first step in carrying ont the
George doctrine in Texas is simply ex-
|empting BY law all personal property
and improvement on land from taxation,
and requiring taxes to be levied on
land values alone. Such law would
be direct benefit to every farmerin the
State.
Here in Harris County, at least six
seventies OF the land is wholly unim-
proved, and probably one-third OF the
lots within the corporate limits of the
city OF Houston are vacant. On an aver
age all over the United States about one
half OF the taxable values of acommuni-
ty are in personal property and improve
ments on land, while the other half is in
the land itself.
In Harris County we must raise saw
S2OO, 600 year to cover State, county
and municipal taxation. Now, in order
to raise the sum on one-haIf the taxa
BILE values in the county, as would prob
ably be necessary were we to exempt
property and improvements on
the land from taxation, we should of
course be compelled to double the tax
on land values. This would double the
tax now paid on any tract of vacant
land 1t would, however, reduce the
taxes on farms and residences from fifty |
70 five hundred per cent A hundred |
'cre farm In Harris County. the assessed |
valuation OF which is 81. 900, pays tax
u $40 year. Now, what is the assessed |
'aiuation OF wild land in the neighbor-
rood similar In quality to such tract
'nd which Is likely enough owned by q
Spectator? Is it moro
han dollar an acre? Is it moro than
ne-tenth the assessed valuation of the
improved farm? To the owner Of such
n improved farm say, IL tho first stem
ven in carrying out the George doctrine
'ere adopted. the assessment OF the
land would DO doubled, but
our farm would be assessed at precisely
ne same valuation as his land adjoining
equal value with your own, regard
SIS OF the improvements. You would
hus be assessed at 5000 instead of 81. 600
nd your taxes would be 50 year in
lead OF $40, reduction Of taxation in
our case OF five hundred per cent Yet
eople say that the farmers will never
such fools as to adopt the George
leory. Time alone will show.
Henry George teacbes that the more
rms that are opened up and improved
10 more machinery, buildings and fac
'ries are erected, the more coal beds
i'd mineral deposits are developed. the
ore residences are built, the more will
Dor be in demand and the better wages
III the laborer get. The more wages
% laborers get the more will thew have
spend. the more will tbey buy and
9 better will times be all around.
ny. then, should the man who improves
nd, who builds residence, q store
'use. factory or tenement on land
fined BY tax gatherer on account Of
enterprise and his willingness to do 1
me thing with bis money which gives
,ployment to labor? II any one is to
lined. why should it not be the man
10, instead of putting his money into
oductive enterprises. attempts to fore
III labor by buying up the vacant
ads, the undeveloped coal bed and
neral deposit, with the purpose of ex- !
ting blackmail from labor. a bounty
the bare privilege Of making nature !
sfpl to mankind?
BY taxing improvements, buildings I
cement houses and factories, we dis
'rage the investment Of capital in
enterprises which give en- I
'yment to labor. by taxing land
mes alone. BY increasing the burden
taxation on land values, we do not
sen the amount of land, but we cbeap-
Its price, we. make the Spectator
Is holding 1t in idleness little
re anxious to sell, we make the land
ler little more anxious to improve
lax on land values alone, therefore.
lead OF retarding enterprise, stimu. =
Is enterprise. q
ow, suppose this first step had been 4
On when our young farmer went n
q seeking land for his own farm. II 40
ad cost spectators twice as much in DO
Is to hold vacant land around th.t -