The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-03-07

under this system less taxes than they
pay now. The clerk or mechanic or
business or professional man who owns
house and lot in which he livea might
pay more taxes ON his lot than now, but
in return for this he would escape the
taxes now levied on his house and its
contents, and. through the medium Of
indirect taxation, upon every thing that
his family consumes. And so with the
farmer. Our present system Of taxation
falls with peculiar severity upon the
farming class. Not only is improved land
all over the United States taxed higher
than unimproyed land Of the same quail
ity, but the taxes which so largely raise
the prices Of all the farmer has to buy do
not and can not 90 long ~ we are ex-
porters OF agricultural produce. raise the
prices of what the farmer has to sell.
And, further than this, to put taxation
solely upon land values would shift the
weight Of taxation from the sparsely
settled agricultural districts to those
populous centers where land has real
and q high value. As 1t would destroy
the speculative value of land. the result
would be that many farmers would have
no taxes at all to pay. for. no matter
what might be the value of his improve
ments. NO farmer would have more taxes
to pay than could be collected from UNI
improved land equal to his in quality
and situation. Manifestly It would bo
very greatly to the relief of the farmer
to abolish all the taxes which now fall
upon his Improvements and his con-
sumption, and substitute for them tax
upon the value of bare land, which is
always higher in populous centers than
in agricultural districts and in sparsely
settled agricultural districts hardly ex-
lists at all. except as the result OF specu-
lation. And from the effects upon the
diffusion Of population the farmer would
greatly gain. Just as the city popula-
ton would gain from tho destruc-
tion OF the system which now builds
tenement houses and vacant lots, SO
would thu agricultural communities
gain in productive power and in social
enjoyment when settlement should be-
come closer, from the fact that there
would NO longer be any inducement for
any one to take up or hold moro land
than he could use
Further than this, it must be remem-
bered that although the selling price Of
land would diminish this, since it would
affect all land, would not affect the ex-
change value of the homestead lots or
farms 1t would be, to the man who
wants for himself and his family the Sc
curity of homo in which to live, or
land to cultivate, purely nominal and |
intangible loss. to Offset which there |
would be great and actual gains; and, ~ |
his children grew up. it would be very
much easier for them to get homesteAds !
or farms Of their own.
The only people who would really |
lose would be those whose incomes are |
mainly drawn from the rent not Of |
buildings, but of land, and those who |
are holding land in the expectation Of |
future profit from the high prices |
that in time those who want to
User it will be compelled to pay
them for it. But there are few,
Il any, individuals who belong exclu-
sively TO this class In varying degrees
all our;large landholders are also capi- I
talists, and would gain a. capitalists
though they might lose ~ land owners.
And, IL in some'cases tho relative loss
exceeded the relative gain, it would only
be land this, II necessary, might be made
certain by some provision ss to widows,
3tc. In the case of those who could
readily stand the los without being
really hurt In any large view It will
always be found that the true interests
II all individuals coincide with the best
interests OF society.
To put all taxes on land values would
be to remove all burdens from capital
md labor; to free industry. and energy, |
md thrift from restriction OF fine; to
AXE away the Incentives to speculation
n land, and to throw open natural or
,ortunities to those who would use
hem, without Is now, compelling them
o pay . heavy premium to some nom
lser. From the; freedom Of operation
which would thus be given to productive
orces would result an enormous In.
rease in the production Of wealth. The
und FROM which all incomes must be
lrawn would be vastly augmented. And
i the same time would come great
qualization in distribution; for that
reedom Of operation which is essential
0 the largest production of wealth IL
lso essential to its fairest distribution.
To one who has never thought over
be matter it may seem preposterous TO
~ that in simple change in the meth
d. Of taxation lies the fundamental
ure for peuperism and low wages and
II the social difficulties which afiict
,odern society. Yet to all who will
arefully think over it this will appear.
When IL Is considered what IL really i'm
olved in the simple change, such great .
fleets do not seem disproportionate to
be cause. For, to remove taxation from
be production and accumulation Of
'ealth, and to put It on the appropria-
Ia. - k~k T. -