Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-06-01

VINO p3CEOulzo DankS OF loan off1Cc0 To-
Gated upon such lands Such would re-
main the case under the single tag sys-
tenn Under the present system land
taxes are q part Of and inoluded In rent
Of occupied lands- Taking the whole
OF rent as tax and changing It's name
from rent to single tax will not change
the law governing It II II unnecessary
for me to allude to the fact that all
taxes levied upon goods, wares and COM
modities, offered for sale, add to or In
crease the price of such goods and COM
modities and are shifted" onto the oon-
sumner, the dealer, merchant or seller
only paying any portion thereof a. he
consumes q certain proportion Of tha
goods and wares upon which they are
levied
And 90 Il Is to the end Of the chapter.
all taxes levied upon personal property,
except such rs Is kept for use and not
for profit, (the very kind that should
not be taxed) are shifted onto consump-
ton and paid by the people In proper
ton to their ability to consume. But
there is an exception When we get to
the farmer occupying his own land, or
the land he ostensibly owns, we find
the exception to this general rule. In
the case of a retail merchant doing q
profitable and prosperous business, the
goods he sells are burdened with the
following charges:
First cost of goods
Freight.
Rent (which includes land owners
taxes).
Taxes on merchandise.
Sinking fund for repairs and insur.
ance.
Clerk hire, light, fuel, etc
Interest on capital invested
A comfortable living, including rent
of residence.
Net profit
If business should be poor, or eompe-
tition sore and grievous, the merchant
may first lose his net profit, next the
interest upon capital invested, and 1t
last cut down his living expenses to bed
rock and yet be able to continue busi-
ness and avoid bankruptcy, without
impairing his capital Whenever busi-
ness fails to provide the funds to cover
the other items, he must gradually
trench upon his capital until he must
borrow money or go into bankruptcy.
II he is doing business upon borrowed
capital he can only lose his net profit
and cut down his living expenses-ths
interest upon his capital he must paw.
Now, what have we determinedf
First-Merchant's gross profits represent
wages for their labor, including feed,
clothing, fuel and shelter. Second
Merchants net profits represent any
wages they may receive In addition to.
or besides board, clothes and lodging.
Third-Before merchants can obtain
their food and clothing, without using
their business capital for that purpose,
they must have succeeded In shifting"
their rent Qnoluding taxes upon land
and building), and all taxes levied upon
their goods and wares. onto their Gus
toners, the general public. Fourth-n
they pay any taxes upon a residence
owned and occupied by them, or rent
(which includes taxes) for q rented
residence, they must collect It from
their customers or impair their business
capital. Thus we find: First, under
tho present system rent, including
taxes upon land and building, SO far %
Is concerned valuable land, occupied for
Income producing businesses, is an indi.
rect tax upon consumption; economic
rent, less the taxes on land, going to
the enrichment Of land owners rs such
while rent upon buildings, less the tax,
goes to enrich the owners of buildings.
the entire building rent, including
taxes, being also an indirect tax upon
consumption; land owners, building
owners and all merchants, business
explolters and middle men
SIMPLY paying their per capita
proportion as consumers. The
sarin upon imported goods is used to
pay the expenses of the general govern
ment while the increased price In
goods, made possible by the tariff, Is
divided between the items met profit"
and interest" the money lender get
ting the lions share. Thus we find, 30
far, that no direct tax is paid by any
except clerks, mechanics, laborers and
wage workers generally, (who must,
out OF their wages, pay the taxes upon
personal property and residence prop
erty occupied by them) and those who
pay taxes upon personal property held
Tor use and not for profit.
Now what would the single tax dor
F1rst-It would nationalize land and
make tho peoples government the uni
versal landlord (single takers to the
contrary, Notwithstanding but would
leave our industrial system on a COM
pentive basis. Second-It would elm
mate from the problem the factors
called tariff. internal revenue tax and
direct taxes of all description, leaving
only economic rent" which would not
De reduced, because the privilege of oc-
oupy1ng and using land would be worth
as much under the single tax as under
the present system Individuals would
then simply hold (not OWN land
oy virtue of the ownership of
the improvements thereon, and they
must pay as tax as much
annual rent as anyone else would paw,
whether they occupied such land or not.
Building rent would remain the samo
as now, less the taxes now paid upon
buildings. This would decrease the
cost of goods and consequently reduce
the retail price of such goods, by just
the amount of all direct and indirect
taxes now levied upon goods, merchan-
disc, wares and commodities. But, in
cluded in the then price of goods would
yet be economic rent" tthe single taxi
interest upon cost Of improvements and
upon capital invested in business and
all other charges and items of expense
hereinbefore enumerated.
Ireiterate-the single tax levied upon
land occupied for profit making, or in
s-producina businesses. would be
An indirect tax upon consumption, and
would be paid by the whole people in
to their ability to consume.
II not, why not?-George C. Ward. in
Topeka (Kan.) Advocate
OpPosed TO Fusion.
The state central committee of thu
peoples party met at Little Rock, Ark.
and adopted the following resolutions:
Whereas, the peoples party is eontendin.
for principles which ft regards ss essential "a
the welfare Of the people and the perpetuation