The herald., 1895-11-20
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10. 1905
PAsADENA's LICENSE TAX

The Republican brethren OF the Pasa-
dena city council seem 'all tore up
about the question of business license
tax. Thus is the frailty of mans consist
ency illustrated.
When it comes to the election OF pres
ident and congressman, these local legis-
iators will doubtless vote unanimously
for the candidates who stand up for the
proposition that the basis of national
prosperity is taxation; that the more you
tax the people the better off they are.
But the attem pit to invoke the same prin-
ciple locally creates dissent. This is
hopeful indication. 1t shows that taxa
ton insanity is not as absolute with
some Republicans as has been supposed.
The mania is yet matter of degree.
The protest OF the hackmen of the city
against being singled out for the i'm posi-
ton of a license tax was justfable in
the fullest measure. If it IL right to levy
q license tax on people engaged in bust
ness, 1t should be levied on AL alike, and
net on particular class.
But it is not night to impose a license
tax on people enga. ed in legiti mate
way Of making living. And the mer-
chants o. Pasadena who iopposed the en-
tension OF the license tax ordinance 80
that it would cover other calinGs than
that of hack driving, on the ground that
sucn tax would not be just. struck the
correct keynote. 1t is not necessary to
argue the expediency of the thing;
what is not right and Just will in the end
be inexpedient.
The prosecution OF a legitimate calling,
of an occupation which serves the inter
es;s of mankind. whether it be that OF a
banker, merchant, physician, a car.
penter, or a hacKman, IS a natural right,
not a privilege. Rights should not be
put on the plane of privileges. The lat
ter should be taxed, the former never.
The idea of making the payment OF
tribute called license the condition pre-
cedent to the earning OF a living in
proper and useful occupation is utterly
nbhorrent.
II makes no difference how an individ
ual sells his or her labor; whether it BIS
sold in digging trenches building houses
shoeing horses, min STEERING to the sick,
conducting dry GOODS store or caring
for money and credits as a BANKER; the
labor belongs to the individual solely,
and in the disposal of 1t be should not
be restricted by vexatious taxation. And
it is immaterial whether the indi-
vidual who thus sells his labor is
permanent or temporary resi-.
dent OF the community. Wnen the
people buy ones labor, or the things
that represent the labor, they are
presumed to receive value for the pur.
chase price, and if com petition is left
free and not hampered or prevented by
taxation. they will get full value. 1t is
not function of the municipal govern.
ment to interfere between buyers and sell
ers by imposing taxes on sellers who
happen TO come from outside the com.
munity. Governments, whether munich
pal or state are not organized for the
purpose OF restrain ng people from exer
ci,ing natural rights either in buying or
selling. but to protect them in the exer-
else of those rights. There is no more
reason or right in imposing tax on out.
side merchants peddlers or hackmen
than there is in doing the same thing
with carpenters, lawyers and cooks from
elsewhere. The same reasons that entite
the local laborer, whether he be bust
ness man, tradesman or a mechanic, to
exemption from license taxes, entitle
men OF the same class from the outside
to exemption. They are reasons that have
nothing to do with the question Of resi-
dence
The people ENGAGED in the working &C.
equations pay all the taxes they should
pay either as owners or renters of real
estate. No one can live and labor ir a
community wi'ohut paying taxes on real
estate, for no one can avoid using it.
member OF the Pasadena council ad-
vocated the leyyins of license taxes on
the ground that ilany persons engaged
in business in the city were renters, and
unless license taxes were imposed would
escape taxation altogether. This gentle
man, In common with tue bulk of his
political party, which, by the wav, claims
a monopoly of the Intelligence of the
country. and yet exhibits more ignorance
OF the princi lies and effects of taxation
than even the Populists. has not vet
roamed the field of political economy
sufficiently to become a quainted with
the i'm portant fact that taxes are some
times portable, that Is, that they do not
always stay where they are put. He an.
parently thinks 1t is the owner of rented
property who pays the taxes, and not the
user of the property. But the fact is that
while taxes are assessed in the names of
property owners, it is the user of the
property, when the latter is rented. who
pays the taxes. They are passed to the
tenant by being included in the rent.
As general proposition, nobody invests
in income prod ucing realty without first
i,.11afiDu bnt bar Ia
over and above taxes and other expenses
the rate of interest desired on the capital
TO be invested. so in the case of income
producing property, it is the tenant or