Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-02-13

/ duN@hbtAEt run btAS tInduttnGnt
in the value OF his land, which they
themselves have caused? VIII he give
them any portion of this unearned incre-
ment which they themselves have pre-
duced? On the contrary. should one OF
these farmers desire to increase the size
of his farm, or 10 settle one OF his chill
dren on adjoining land he will have to
pay the speculator for the 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 out 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 or
land values alone. Such law would
be direct benefit to every farmerin the
| State
Here in Harris County, at least six
seventies of tho land is wholly unim-
proved, and probably one third of tho
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 tho taxable values of acommuni-
| ty arc in personal property and improve
ments on land. while tho other half is in
the land itself
In Harris County we must raise say
$500, 900 year to cover State, county
and municipal taxation. Now, in order
to raise the sum on one-half tho taxa
bic values in the county, as would prob
ably be necessary were VIC to exempt
personal property and improvements on
the land from taxation, we should of
course be compelled to double tho tax
on land values. This would double tho
tax now paid on any tract of vacant
| land. 1t would, however, reduce tho
taxes on farms and residences from fifty
to five hundred per cent. hundred
acre farm in Harris County, tho assessed
valuation of which is 81, 900, pays tax
of $40 year Now, what is tho assessed
valuation of wild land in tho ncighbor.
hood similar in quality to such tract,
and which is likely enough owned by q
non resident Spectator? Is it more
than dollar an acre? Is it more than
one-tenth tle assessed valuation of the
improved farm? To the owner of such
an improved farm l say if the first step
oven in carrying out the George doctrine
were adopted the assessment of tho
| spectators land would be doubled, but
your farm would be assessed at precisely
the same valuation as his land adjoining
of equal value with your own, regard
less of the improvements. You would
thus be assessed at 5000 instead OF 81, 900,
and your taxes would be Sc q year in
stead Of SO, reduction of taxation in
your case of five hundred per cent Yet
people say that the farmers Will never
be such fools as to adopt the George
theory. Time alone will shoY.
Henry George teaches that the moro
farms that are opened up and improved
the more machinery, buildings and fac
tories are erected, the more coal beds
and mineral deposits are developed, tho
more residences are built, the more will
labor be in demand and the better wages
will the laborer get. The more wages
the laborers get the more will they have
to spend, the moro will they buy and
the better will times be all around.
Why, then, should the man who improves
land, who builds q residence, a store
house, a factory or q tenement on land
be fined by tax gatherer on account of
his enterprise and his willingness to do
some thing with his money which gives
employment to labor? If any one is to
be fined why should it not be the man
who, instead of putting his money into
productive enterprises, a tempts to fore.
stall labor by buying up the vacant
lands, the undeveloped coal bed and
mineral deposit, with the purpose of cx-
torting blackmail from labor, bounty
for the bare privilege of making nature
useful to mankind?
By taxing improvements, buildings,
tenement houses and factories, we dis
courage the investment of capital in
productive enterprises which give en-
ployment to labor by taxing land
values alone, by increasing tho burden
of taxation on land values, we do not
lessen the amount of land, but we cheap
en- its price, we make the speculator
who is holding it in idleness a little
more anxious to sell, we make the land
owner little more anxious to improve.
tax on land values alone, therefore,
instead of retarding enterprise, stimu-
lates enterprise.
Now, suppose this first step had been
taken when our young farmer went
forth seeking land for his own farm. Ii
it had cost spectators twice as much in
taxes to hold vacant land around that
town would they have been as eager to
buy 1T up in the first place? Would they
not have been a little more shy about
investing in it, and hence would not its
price have been considerably less? and
hence could not our farmer have got Just
as good piece of land for the same price
a good deal nearer town? and hence
would not his family have had moro So
cial advantages and better church and
school privileges? and would he not have
saved II good deal of time in going to
mill and market and would he not havo
worked to letter advantage in a great
many ways, and therefore have pro-
duccd more and hence have been able to
/ buy more? and il his merchant were re-
lieVed from the payment of taxes on his
store house and stock of goods, wonld
not this lessen tho cost of his doing
business. and hence lessen tho selling
price OF his goods, also to the farmers
advantage. ii. i. RING, Houston, Tex.
IT is not that laborers have increased
faster than capital; it is not that popu-
lation is PRESSING against subsistence;
it is not that machinery has made work
searce;" it is not that there is any real
antagonism between labor and capital