Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-02-06
7AURM0NT, Frederick County, Maryland Thursday February g. 1885,

MIR. Gray scratched his nead rellec-
lively.
"Well," he said at length, Tfyou Cal
prove that to ME | will admit that
have been fool not to look it up instead
of believing all the newspapers said
against it. But here is the question:
My farm is highly improved; my neigh
boris is not, although the land is as good
and the farm as we'll situated as mine
yet you make him pay the same taxes
as me, proportionate!y of course, to the
size of the farms"
"Well," answered John, "do you think
he ought to pay less taxes because be is
lazy and you are industrious? Would
you like to put premium upon shift
lesness and fine man for being indus
trious? Do you think that because he
won't make good use of an opportunity
he ought to pay less for the opportunity:
"But let US 90 back to the main
question and see If our plan of taxation
would not lower the farmers taxes.
"Your farm of hundred acres you
would not sell for cent less than 500
IN acre, or $4,000 in all. That is
good price; but it is improved property
good buildings, good houses, good
fences wells, orchards, and so on. And
you pay on this farm about $65 taxes.
"Now, what are Improvement values
on $4,000 farm?
"You have about four miles of fences,
or 1880 rods, worth 81 80 a rod. The
the first item to b. subtracted from the
total value of the farm is therefore 81,
664. There is good house, little old
fashioned perhaps, but roomy, cheerful
and comfortable. Improvements have
made it conform more nearly to modern
IT tquirements, and it looks from cellar
to garret, inside and out, home. 1t ie
at all events, equal to the average house
of 800 an acre farm and is worth at
least $500. The two wells with stone
Innings, curbs, good pumps, are worth
$l75. The five acre orchard Of good
fruit bearing tr4es adds $400. Great
barn, horse barns, COW stable under
great barn, sheep barns, pens and sheds
all add to the Improvement value Of
this farm at least $1,000 more. The
cost Of pulling stumps, draining picking
stone, etc., have also to be deducted, as
we'll as the value of the land used for
highway purposes; and for all this we
may fairly allow S25 an acre more.
NAdding these items we fnd the value
Of the improvements on our $4,000 farm
to be 1889 or in round numbers, $500
leaving the land value Of the farm $1,000
and on this latter sum the George sys
tenn proposes to tax the farmer up to its
full rental value. You would pay
therefore, on your farm a land value tax
of per cent on $1,000 or $4S in all,
You now pay sos.
"Allowing for local variations, the
farmer will pay about from 5 to 80 per
cent less taxes than he does now. If
that is expressing the farmer you Can
,yranize over him by the bushel and he
will grow fat under It."
We'll, that seems to be So" replied
Mr.. Gray with an increasing respect tor
his sons logic; "but how about the
holders of really valuable vacant lots in
the villages and cities: 1t seems to me
they could not afford to keep them"
"Unimproved, no! But when they
did improve them they would not pay
cent more fer their enterprise. They
would be compelled to use them or allow
others to take them who would. In that
case labor would be employed to i'm
prove and the great army Of unemploy
ed labor set to work. At the same time
that still greater army Of men who work
only part Of the time-on short hours,
or portion of the year-would find the
increased demand for their products
giving them work to do all the time,
and they would be able TO buy more
and more of the farmers produce, thus
extending his market"
"But wouldn't there be lot of ove".
productions" said Jem.
Where is no such thing az over pro-
duction, but there is and should not be
an inequality of distribution, which this
system of taxation will remedy. For
by exemptlng Improvements you leave
to each all his labor produces, and by
taxing land up to its full rental val
ue you give to all what is the result OF
the growth, the labor and capital OF the
community. Put the unemployed men
on the idle land, father, and they will
produce and consume and then their
poverty will cease"
Johns father sat long after breakfast
NH