The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-02-19
TAXATION.



meaning the advocates Of The system Of
taxation which goes by that name.
implies. without considerable explana-
ton A great many believe '.single
taxi means tax on land, and ninety
per cent Of the land being in farms they
Jump to the conclusion that I means
ninety per cent Of the taxes would fall
upon the farmers, and con6scation Of
the farms would inevitably follow.
Nothing could be further from the
truth than this. 1t is claimed that
farmers already pay 80 per cent Of the
taxes. If the idea of taxing land is
gotten rid Of, and that Of taxing land
yolues or the rental value Of land is
adopted, the light will begin to break
on the obscured mind Of the opposeFs
Of the system Of taxation Familiarity
known as single tax" We have been
SO long attempting to tax personal prop
erty and meyer succeeding in effecting
it. that the majority get fighting mad at
the idea Of exempting the money,
stocks, mortgages, foe furniture and
residences Of the rich, and refuse even
to consider the matter. IF we COM
mence to investigate the subject and
90 down to bed rock we reach the i'm
eYitable conclusion that no man can
transact any kind of business without
FIRST occupying some part of the earth's
surface. And the more profitable that
business is the more that pet Of
ground, be it large or small, will rent
or sell for. The value Of the spot of
ground on which business is transact
ed is sure criterion Of the profit
of the business. The ground on
which the city Of Baltimore is built
would sell or rent for more than all the
land 10 the State outside Of its largest
towns and | think we might venture to
include the towns also. Why is this !?
Simply because there is more profit de-
rived from the business transacted in
that city and the rents which its land
lords receive, than from all the rest of
the State. In order to get at these
rental and selling values, which we will
call land values, we must exempt all
the improvements and all other personal
property; separate from all other values
the value Of the bare land.
We will begin with the farm aud
attempt to do this. We will have to
alc srtain the selling yalue Of the farms
including their improvements. which
constitute, buildings, fences, orchards.
and any other improvements OF this
nature that may exist. When the
value of such improvements has been
reckoned as nearly as possible and de-
Quoted from the selling price of the
whole we will have the value Of the
bare land as nearly as it is possible 10
arrive at it, and this gives us correct
basis for system OF equitable, uniform
taxation. In the same manner We will
proceed to ascertain the value Of the
land occupied BY the cities and towns
of the State; the railroads, telegraphs,
telephones, gas and electric lighting
privileges the value of mineral lands
in use, and all vacant lots and lands,
held out of use and for the purpose Of
speculation, by the increasing value of
property adjacent to these idle lands.
1t will begin to dawn ON the investiga-
tor as he dips into this problem that he
is developing vast amount of valuable
property for taxation that has almost
wholly escaped notice, while assessors
have been hunting after concealed per-
sonal property which they have never
been able to find.
If we exempt the buildings, the plant
or machinery Of factories, the furniture
in the private dwellings, the tools OF
the mechanics, the vast stocks Of mer-
chandise, the licenses, the live stock,
drays. carriages and wagons, in city,
town and country, we increase the
rental and selling value of every bust
ness location and eligible site for res
idenee in the cities, and the value Of
the farming land also.
As we reduce the expenses of the
persons engaged in any line Of business
BY exempting from taxation and
licenses, their goods and personal prop.
erty Of all kinds We increase their abil
ity to offer higher rent or price for
the most desirable locations, and the
sharp competition to secure locations
will cause general rise in the isad
and rental values Of all properties in
use, and by laying similar valuation
on adjacent lands kept out of use and
held for q rise which is expected 10