The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-04
Fair Treatment!

We giveeolace with pleasure to the
following explanation of the single
tax because we are satisfied that if the
theory is fallacious the more thor
ougnly it is understood the l0s likely
it will be to crystalline intelaw; and If
it has merit, it is of the utmost irnpor.
lance that its merits should be known
and appreciated as early as possible:
Our readers will thank US for giving
Nit. Wjln1arth a hearing:
TO the Editors of the Marlborough Record:
The spirit of courtesy shown by the
Record in it's notice of the Addresses
on Taxation given last Monday even
Ing in the public squaro of Marlbor-
ough by Robert Baker and G. w.
Thompson warrants me in intruding
upon your space.
Taking it for granted that we are
equally seekers after the wisest meth
DDS and disclaiming all desire to enter
into controversial discussion, yet / beg
to doubt the correctness Of one Of your
assumptions, namely, that under the
| single tax the farmer Would be com
PEELED to endure heavier taxes than at
present
II we lay aside for the moment all
consideration of the eternal principle
of right upon which the single tax is
firmly founded.
Come down to the lowest plane of
thought which deals with the self in
terest ct q certain class, namely, the
farmers, and ask: Would the single
tax, if introduced, increase the burden
Of their assessments?' the answer will
be no, emphatically no! On the on
trary, it would not only relieve the
farmer of the burden of a million and
one indirect and concealed taxes which
ne is now forced to pay on everything
he uses or consumes, but it would
greatly reduce the assessment on his
farm.
The "single TAX" is a plan to abolish
all of taxes whatsoever nature, except
one tax on land values irrespective of
all improvements on the land.
How would this affect the farmer
hereabouts?
Do not understand me as saying that
farms in this neighborhood are worth
less, but almost all the value Of a farm
consists of improvements which have
been put upon the land, and that the
pure land value, or, more correctly
speaking, the locality value; IS very
trifling, probably less han ten dollars
an acre.
AS a concrete example of the slight
ness of land values in this neighbor-
hood l will instance my own place. It
is in the market for sale. And al
though in it's situation as a residence
it is highly desirable, yet SO lightly de-
I esteem the land value that | will give
a deed of the thirteen acres to any
party in consideration of one dollar,
providing that party will pay me fcF
the improvements which /, as well as
others, have caused to be put apon the
land.
My case is not an exception. Let
any farmer take a pencil and paper and
set down the cost of building his honse,
barns and cisterns, out-buildings, walls
and fences, the cost of digging. walls,
blasting rocks, clearing Away obstruc-
tions and ditohing swamps, the cost of
planting vineyards and orchards aid
OF fertilizing soil up Is its present
state CT productions; let him reckon up
t..ie eelamn and then deduct the SUM
from the price his farm would sell fsf,
and the remainder Of indeed there
should be any, viii consist ST purs
land value and becoms the basis afs Els
assessment under The single tax sys-
teha. venture to assert that in most
cases when submitted to this test the |
land value pure and simple Of our
farms will be found to be surprisingly
small. t. n. WIIMAhTfi.