Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-10-01

ished use throws the workman out o.
overstoclxs the labor mar
ket, lowers wages, causes pauperisln
and the vices consequent, or Incidence,
or the want of healthy excitement We
must do something bad or good: then
let us give every encouragement to do
ing good.
Let us now consider the consequence
of laying all the taxes on land. The
landholder would then have so much
less interest in keeping the land by the
extra amount of taxes levied on it. To
make it equally profitable it must be
better cultivated, and if they can not
or will not do it themselves, it will DO
their interest to sell it, or hire the Gull
tivation to be done This will give en-
ployment and food, instead of diminish
ing them, as in the taxing Of personal
property. Look at the dreadful condi-
ton of France at the present moment.
Thousands of her heroic sons digging
up stones in one part of the streets and
removing them to another, just to keep
the people from anarchy, VIII this
give permanent and profitable employ
ment to the unemployed? Is this the
way to tighten the burden of taxation
and make it easy for the taxpayer?
Who can foresee the poverty, the bank
ruptcy, the misery, the crime, that must
follow the continuance of such a course?
The workmen now look to government
for employment and wages How can
the wages be continued without the
land being made productive? How can
the land be made productive without
the requisite labor? Then why not
- Il - i
| have the land cultivated by laying all
| the taxes on the land, and thus throw
the speculation in personal property?
| What care we how much personal prop
erty any one has, if we have the use of
| the land to make the same for our
selves? If the legitimate landholders
are wise, they will see to this before
the workmen assert their claim to the
soil, and enforce it by arms.
Ought taxes to be raised in such a
| way as to encourage industry? Now,
| if two persons own equal quantities OF
land say eighty acres each, one puts a
thousand dollars worth of improve
ment on his land, the other one hun
dred dollars, the improvements are
taxed according to their value; conse'
quently the one who has made thou
sand dollars improvement has ten times
| the taxes to pay for industry that the
other has to paw for his Incidence. Does
not the industrious man pay off the idle
mans taxes? AS they each occupy an
equally valuable portion of land, why
should they not contribute equally for
its use, to defray the necessary expenses
of government?
Let us look at the economy. One
valuation, less difficult than valuing
what personal property you can find,
would suffice No one would be inter.
ested in denying what belonged to him
| We have now several valuations for
different taxes; l think three. with as
MANY different sets of officers to pay,
which is inquisitorial and vexatious.
Now, as to the moral results The get
ting rid of paying a tax by smuggling
or false swearing seems almost consld
cred smart, which lessons respect fol
all law and honesty. Three of our prin
cipal merchants swore off their per
sonal tax last year, others have to pay
their tax, which encourages them to dc
the same, till the habits of all become
more corrupt. One OF the three mer
chants got up petition this year to al
low the merchants to swear OF wha
goods they owed for, SO that while TIT
owner of a house must pay his Is
though he owes the full amount OF
the merchant may evade the tax |,
swearing he owes for his goods.
Please, as soon as convenient, oblig'
. us with your views on this subject
Right or wrong, | am anxious to know
it-Edwin Burgess.