Feliciana sentinel., 1892-09-24

benefit Of those who arc by contrast fand-0we
ers. Every cent wo raise We spend IN hen.lno.
grading, 1raveling and otherwise improving
Streets in preserving order and In doing otneS
things which bcnent the land values OF Our
town by adding to the towns attractiveness.
whereas the only way house can oe rehoereo
worth more than its cost of construction Is BY
some Improvement made to the house itseu
We are, under our present system. inticting
moral wrong mono tho less serious py ho' oe"s
generally recognized.
Laying aside the question whether wronsdo'
ing can ever bring about adequate compensa-
tory advantages, let us consider the "Fgnmeht
reforred to.
From our local tax OF nfteen cents on the
hundred dollars there was payable last year 70
tho town on q valuation for land and houses OK
$3.50 Oss, the sum OF seOSSa This year the as
sesscd value Of land exclusive Of improve
ments) is fixed at 500 706. Levying upon TINS
ut the increased rate now allowed US oil twenty
five cents per hundred dollars, our receipts
would be e924.27. The treasurer informs US tnas
our road tax rebate to be received from the
county for the coming year will equal esSo.
The result OF oil this will DO that after exemP
iion Of all improvements from taxation our re.
ccipts for the year will nevertheless exceed
these of last year by es43 W1tMn
q limited period the land values Of Hyattsviiie
have increased after paying all taxes levied
The increase was brought about by the growth
Of the community rs whole and Is q result OF
its collective industry During the same perlo~
every house-the result OF individual industry.
levy taxation upon the thing OF individual crear
tion which diminish es constantly In valua tion'
| instead Of taxing exclusively that which We
| have created AS q community, and which no"
inures to the benefit OF a Few:
| "Your committee seek no reputation rs
| prophets, nor do they hazard any when thc5
| say that should Hyattsvtlle be the first town IN
! the union to abolish taxation on houses, es II
was the first to abolish personal taxes, the re
| suit from every material point Of view, will ~
| o matter OF course be OF the greatest possioi
NH~n. r(
OF those who see great truth ana nave sl'
courage to follow It.
I'VE honestly recommend that the board ds
duct and except from taxation all the improve
ments embraced in the report OF the assessors.
Considerable discussion followed the
reading of the report, Mr.. Latimer dep
recating the ground taken by it A
length Mr.. Long, the third sound
commissioner. offered resolution tina
the board deduct and except" from thu
report of the assessors all assessment
upon improvements, and levy a tax o
25 cents per 800 upon the remaining
land values. On this Messrs. Ralston
Britt and Long voted in the affirmative
and Messrs- Latimer and Aman vote
in the negative.
In this way, after four years untirin'
work, jackson Ralston accompllshe'
his object of making his town of Hy
attsville the first single tax municipal
ity in the United States. In httl
chat with him as to the results OF tn
single tax, Mr.. Ralston said to tn
writer:
1.-The removal of taxation from in
provements in Hyattsville will probab bl
. bring about such an increased deman
for land to build houses upon as wi
offset any tendency toward depreciatio
arising from the increased tax on Ian
, values. l, therefore, do not anticipat
any special reduction in the price
land at the present time, as woul
r probably be the case if the applicatio
of the single tax were general. The sP
!, cial advantage look for is the impet.
! that will be given to building as the r
;. suit of the obstacle to that industry
Henry George, Jr., in Standard.