Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-06-15

as it must come out of the land owner.
otherwise the tenant could not compete
In business with those who occupied
their own untaxed land All other land
being freed from taxation, rent would
at once be reduced by just the amount
of the present land taxes.
No other tax should be levied upon
any kind of property, real or personal,
except graded tax upon all net incomes
of 81 900 and over, and q graded tax upon
estates, inheritances and bsquests Net
incomes of individuals, corporations or
firms represent the residual increment"
after all demands for consumption or
subsistence are supplied In other words,
it is what is left after rent, interest and
profit have taken their portion, and food,
clothing, shelter and fuel, as well as all
other necessary contingent expenses
have been met As a rule, the property
or wealth upon which such an income
tax would be levied would be ''unearned
increment" being the product of either
rent, interest or profit. or else the resi-
due above consumption, and q, 900 be-
sides, of unreasonable and dispropor-
tionate salaries (wages). There should
be very little difference in the wages
paid to different laborers. Such differ
ence-that is, all honest and fair differ
ence-would be covered by the better
style of living, in the ascending grade,
and the $1,000 net income exempted
from taxation.
/ am aware that single-taxers and
others will contend that an income tax
cannot be collected; that it will be
fraudulently evaded or sworn of, or
charged up to expenses, or be recouped
in higher rents and prices, or lower
wages, etc. To this I answer that
If use and occupancy were made Q pre-
requisite to land ownership, there
would no longer be any rent, high or
low, while the competition of those
business exploiters who did not receive
any taxable income would prevent the
income tax from being recouped in high
er prices or lower wages So far as
evasion is concerned, the efforts in the
direction of such evasion would be .
matter of Indifference to all those whose
net incomes did not exceed one thousand
dollars. An interesting struggle might
be waged in the ranks of plutocracy,
but labor would not Be IN It. Labor, be-
ing assured of its total product, free
lEOA ICAG ouO JdAdI1O13 COuAO 1OOk Oh
serenely, while the plutocrats watched
and fought each other.
But in case, or rather for fear, that
some would yet accumulate too large a
| portion of the net production of the la
Dor of the nation, every estate should
be administered upon by public ad-
ministrator, or where there Is a win.
probated and executed by aprblic ex-
ecutor, and a heavy, graded tax levied
upon all wealth left by deceased per-
sons, above a certain set and deter
mined amount.
Brethren in the reform movement:
Read the foregoing article carefully and
then compare with the following planks
of the st. Louis platform:
We demand . graduated income tax
The land, including all the natural resources
OF wealth. Is the heritage Of the people and
should not be monopelized for speculative pur-
| poses, and alien ownership OF hand should b
| prohibited All lands now held by railroads
| and other corporations iE-sxcess OF their actual
needs, and al lands - aybad nv alienA
sholld be reclaimed hr TIE goyernment ana
| held for actual settlers only.
| Has anyone better plan to offera
GEORGE G. WARD>