The Opelousas courier., 1895-10-26
How Many Do Taxes Support:

Editor Union Printer and American Crafts
man:
Your correspondent Common Sense
says there is no method of adjusting
our taxing system SO that labor will
not eventually have to pay the
freight" Well, suppose there is not.
Suppose, what is the fact, that govern
ment is supported entirely from the
product of labor. does Common Sense
think it a good thing for the laborers
to have to support a lot of LAND, owners
us WELL? They do it now, and they are
poor.
He further says: "The exclusive own
ership of land is the foundation of civ
ilization." Exclusive possession is nee
essary to induce men to put improve
ments on land, but ownership is
not necessary in any case. Take, for
example, the dock privileges and ferry
franchises belonging to the city of
New York. The lessees pay one tax
(rentaD to the city for the exclusive
privileges they enjoy. In case a lease
is terminated the improvements have
to be bought by the rev lessee at a
fair valuation. So it could be in the
case of real estate with improvements
under single tax. If a poor man"
could not pay his tax and had to u r
render his property las he has to do
now, by the way, could be compen-
stated to the full value Of his improve
ments. II he had none, and had mere
~ invested in the hope of being some
day able to build, he had merely made
a bad speculation and lost.
Why should he be compensatory
Keep in mind that land ownership is
simply the ability to appropriate an-
other mans earnings, and is equivalent
to ownership of the laborer himself.
II a man robs me, even under the law,
where is the justice of compelling me
to pay him to stop his depredations?
Common Sense" says: Now what
would an idle sub do with a piece of
land if he had it?" What does he do
with it now? Does he not live on a
''piece of land?" When he has a job
does he not work on a piece of land?"
Do not his clothing, shelter, food and
the tools of his occupation come from
pieces of land? He is using a piece of
land right along. Does he think he
gets more out Of it because he has to
share his earnings with the owner and
taxes over and above? AS a landuser,
whether he admits it or not, he is the
ultimate taxpayer.
To show what land owners, as such,
are getting, let me use a little illustra-
ton: The better class of tenement
houses, which are tenanted by the
werking-classes, cost to build not more
than nine cents a cubic foot. A half
fiat, containing 5000 cubic feet, will
thus cost $3.50 to build, and the interest
(house remit at 5 per cent, will amount
to 81. 8S a month. Such q house will
rent for $ls a month; so that the ten
ant is paying less than 81 for his rooms,
and over Sic Including a small amount
of taxes for his piece of land"
The editor thinks 10 cents per cubic
foot would be r the mark.
II Common Sense" will stop to con-
slider that his butcher and baker, his
grocer, mis- clothier, and every man
with whom he deals has to submit to
the same extortion, and that it is
charged to him in the increased cost Of
their wares, he will have a glimmering
Of the reason why the producer is gen.
orally poor and the non-producer, who
the opportunities, is generally
rich.
GEoRGr S%rTruERI. Nm