Feliciana sentinel., 1891-01-24

ulators holdings But viii they re
| any advantage from this enhancemen
In the value Of his land, which the,
themselves have caused? viii he Civ,
them any portion Of this unearned incre
nent which they themselves have pro
duced? On the contrary, should one o
these farmers desire to increase the six,
OF his farm, or to settle one of his chill
dren ON ad dioining land, he will have Il
pay the speculstor for the very enhance
ment in the value Of the land which ha,
resulted from tho application Of his OWL
labor upon his own land
Tho first step in carrying out thu
George doctrine in Texas is simply ex
empting by law all personal property
and improvement on land from taxa ation,
and requiring taxes to be levied or
land values alone. Such . law would
be q direct benefit to every farmerin the
State
Here in Harris County, 1t least six.
sevenths of the land 10 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 . bout one
half Of the taxable values Of acommuni-
ty are in personal property and improve
ments on land. while the other half 10 in
the land itself.
In Harris County we must raise say
$500. 600 q year to cover State, county
and municipal taxation. Now, in order
to raise the sum on one-half the taxa
BILE values in the county, as would prob
ably be necessary were we to exempt
personal 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
to five hundred per cent. A hundred
acre farm in Harris County, the assessed
OF which is 81. 600, pays a tax
OF $40 year. Now, what is the assessed
valuation OF wild land in the neighbor-
hood similar in quality to such . tract,
and which is likely enough owned BY Q
nonresident speculator? Is it more
than dollar an acre? Is it moro than
one-tenth the assessed valuation Of the
improved farm? To the owner of such
An improved farm say, IL the first step
sven in carrying out the George doctrine
we're adopted, the assessment of the
land would be doubled, but
vour farm would be assessed at precisely
The same valuation as his land adjoining
If equal value with your own, regard
ess of tho Improvements. You would
.hus be assessed at 5000 instead of 81, 900,
md your taxes would be s. year in
stead OF SO. reduction of taxation in
your case Of five hundred per cent Yet
people say that the farmers will never
% such fools as to adopt the George
heory. Time alone will show
Henry George teaches that the more
arms that arc opened up and improved
he more machinery, buildings and fac
ories are erected, the more coal beds
md mineral deposits are developed, the
more residences are built, the more will
abor be in demand and the better wages
vii! the laborer get. The moro wages
he laborers get the moro will they have |
o spend. the moro will they buy and |
he better will times be all around.
Why, then, should the man who improves
and. who builds residence, a store
ouse, factory or tenement on land |
re fined by tax gatherer on account Of |
lis enterprise and his willingness to do |
ONE thing with his money which gives
to labor? II any one is to
e fined. why should it not be the man
Who, instead Of putting his money into
productive enterprises, attempts to fore
tall labor by buying up the vacant
ands. the undeveloped coal bed and
deposit. with the purpose Of ex-
orting blackmail from labor. a bounty
Or the bare privilege of making nature
seful to mankind?
BY taxing provements. buildings,
enement houses and factories, we dis
ourage the investment OF capital in
roductive enterprises which give en-.
loyment to labor. by taxing land
alues alone. by increasing the burden
taxation on land values we do not
ssen the amount of land. but we cheap
a it's price. we make the speculator
no is holding 1t in idleness little
ore anxious to sell. we make the land
Vner little more anxious to improve.
tax on land values alone, therefore,
stead Of retarding enterprise. stimu.
tes enterprise.
Now, suppose this first step had been
ken when our young farmer went
rth seeking land for his own farm. II
had cost spectators twice as much in :
xes to hold vacant land around that :
wn would they have been as eager to I
~ 1t up in the first place? Would they
It have been little more shy about
vesting in it, and hence would not its Q
ice have been considerably less? and
nee could not our farmer have got Just i
good piece of land for the same price q
good deal nearer town? and hence 8
'uld not his family have had more So =
Il advantages and better church and | t
hool privileges? and would he not have | o
we'd good deal of time in going to 3
II and market and would he not have :
'rked to better advantage in a great e
my ways, and therefore have pro J
ced more and hence have been able to
y more? and if his merchant were re, d
we'd from the payment Of taxes on his
re house and stock of goods, would
this lessen the cost Of his doing
siness, and hence lessen the selling
ce of his goods, also to the farmers