The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-01-29
WHAT ARE THE REAL GRIEVANCES

1luNllI5 tleuCSoN UlC tUsCG w ~ ppSiSt
difficulties to the monopolization OF
land, the source OF all wealth, that is
to rent taking, tine remedy l propose is
a simple buteffectual one.
Restore to all men that birthrisht
that IS guaranteed to everyone born
into the world by nature; that right
which in fact is i%nalienable; the right to
the use OF those natural opportunities
and an equal right to that value that
attaches to land by reason OF the growth
and improvement OF the community o.
which he is Il member.
This car be done without disturbing
present titles to land, by simply taking
rent in taxation and removing all taxes
from wealth i'll all it's various forms and
and concentrating taxation upon land
value; not land but Gland value"
Bv this method we accomplish q
double purpose, We not only propose
IL better. more just and equitable mode
OF taxation but We destroy land specu-
lation, the monopolization OF the source
OF all wealth. By taxing land value you
make it Improbable to hold land for
any other purpose than actual use, men
could not hold valuable land out OF use
waiting for it's growth in value. Neither
could they shift this tax On to the user
OF land and make him pay rent and tax
in addition, Tor the reason that they are
now getting all fhey can and when taxes
are placed upon land value all the land
in the community will be in the market
for users, for the sole reason that the
owner can't hold it idle and pay such
high taxes. This competition would
run the price of rent down. This is the
cheapest mode of raising revenue, as it
dispcnses with a great army of internal
revenue collectors and custom house
officers, nosers and spies made nccessa-
ny by our present tariff system and
would not add a single man in any other
department. 1t is also better than II
other mode in that, that every dollar
paid would go direct into the treasury;
but in indirect taxation, where the tax
is shifted to the consumer, when he pays
the tax he is compelled to pay much
more than ever reaches the treasury.
For instance, the tariff tax is shifted by
the importer to the price Of the goods,
he sells them, first cost and duty added
with a profit on all, to Il jobber. He, in
turn, sells to a retailer with first cost,
duty, importers profit and his own
,rc{:t added md 11,n ra4., i1ar collie II fc
the with profit on all OF this
and when the goods are purchased FOL
consumption, then the tax is paid, and
it is plain that much more is paid than
ever finds its way to the treasury.
This tax upon land value would not
fall upon industry and labor as tho
; taxes upon personal property does, as
it would simply take that portion o
, wealth that would otherwise go the spec
ulator in rent. When we tax houses
crops, money, furniture capital or wealth
: in any OF its forms, we take from the in
+ dividual what rightiully belongs to him
but when we tax ground value we TAX
1 from the individual what does not be
! long to him, but to the community.
@ Taxing all kinds OF personal propcrt,
and improvements greatly burdens pro
II duction. Remove this burden that nov
weighs upon industry and thrift; VIII.
( discourage the production Of wealth
4 If we tax houses there will be poore
@ and fewer houses; if we tax machinery
there will be less machinery; if we TIA:
n trade (as by tariff Or otherwisc), ther
# will be less trade; if we tax capital, ther
will be less capital. All the taxes the
u that would be abolished are takes Cha
repress industry and lessen the produt
ton OF wealth. But if we tax Ian
v value there will be no less land, son tn
contrary the taxation OF land value
20 has the effect of making land moreavai
- able by industry, since it makes it MOI
difficult for owners OF valuable Ian
which they themselves do not want 1
use, to hold il idle for a larger Yutul
Ell price. While the abolition OF taxes @
labor and the products OF labor woul
W free the active clements Of production
It, the taking OF land values in taxatio
would free the passive element, by d
ne troying speculative land values and pr
TX vent the holding out OF use land needle
Is for USE"
| hear some II say, you would Ii
n the owners Of money. bonds, stock an
other personals go free from taxation
al Take it for granted that we could flu
and assess all this wealth we in ia,
w could not tax it. The owners OF tn
U. wealth would shift it on to the USE
es and consumers. just as the illustr;
It's ton OF the importer before mentione
III shows, capital free from combination
ell has a value in the market just as whea
Je- corn, stock or anything else, and
nix money is worth ten per cent, you tax
at two per cent and the borrower will ha'
IN to pay twelve per cent; for the lend
is could make as much clear profit at tt
ne per cent without the tax as at twel
ut with the tax. So l say it is absolute
I'm impossible To tax personal property
cts capital, it is shifted to the users or co
al, sumers. Think Of the great amount
TIL capital now tied up in land value tn
OF labor must pay Tor it's use and then f
Up ure on the benifit to labor at being
mt lieved from this burden. Think of t
to vast amount Of capital that would il
mediately be turned from non-prodl
rs. tive to productive pursuits. You "
ng then see that the power Of capital to 0
ge- press labor is gone. The lal
ley value OF the United States is S3O,OO(
mt oO0, 900. Now, keep in your mind t
do TACT that labor pays interest (rent) {
tai this vast sum, not as an aid to produ
ton, but to speculation.
tie There are infinite benefits that wou
1al flow from the adoption OF the single t;
Ike that can't here enumerate. l wou
to be pleased to hear any objections
ed this proposition or any questions fro
le- the readers Of THE Union