St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-09
A SINGLE TAXER.
He Has Views About Reducing As
sesSments.


sessments.
To the Editor of the Globe.
/ notice move started in st. Paul for the
lowering of assessments for the purpose of
taxation, which move has spread to Mime
apols and Duluth. The movement first as
sumed an injured air. st. Paul paid too large
share of the states taxes; the same tune
is sung in this city and Duluth Now, any
person who has given this matter any thought
knows that it is the country and not the
large cities of the state which pay too heavy
taxes to the state government, in proportion
to their wealth. The fact of the matter is,
that this patriotic move is got up by lot Of
land spectators, whose land is already under
assessed Most of the men hold vacant land
out of use, waiting until the increase in pop
ulation and the return of prosperity in St.
Paul, Minneapolis or Duluth, will make it
valuable. They toll not. neither do they
SPIN but the assessor always lets them off
easy because they are not getting any rev.
enue from their ca land" thus discriminating
against the merchant, the laborer and the
working farmer If there be any discrimna-
ton 1t should be in favor of producers, not
in favor of non-producers. Tax assessors
should obey the law and assess all property at
its full value. Assessments are unequal enough
at present. The producing class should not be
carried away by the siren voice of idle land
lords just because they wear good clothes and
are the cream of the best society,"" Bust
ness men as we'll as the laborng masses
should see to it that assessors are installed
in Office who will not violate the law who will
I
keep their official oaths The present tactics
of our idle landlords will hasten their own
downfall. Business enterprise the employ
ment of labor, the improvement of property
should not be made Unable crimes WHY
should man be taxed because he is in
dustrious while the landlord appropriates the
funds economic rent created by the labor,
presence and industry of the social commun-
1ty? II the government levied a single tax
on the value of land and abolished all tax
on the products of labor the land owner and
user would become and the same person
All men would be placed on an equality in the
use and enjoyment of natural opportunities.
1t would no longer be a crime to engage in
business to employ labor, or to create wealth.
1t not being profitable to own land unused
or only half used, all owned land would be
put to its best use. Business would flourish
and prosperity would become universal. The
illimitable fields of employment which the
earth opens to mankind would be unlocked.
labor being free to act and capital exempt
from taxation. Poverty would become un-
known and the unemployed problem would be
solved, and those who benefit society bv their
industry would not be burdened and discour-
aged by an iniquftous system of fines, mis-
called taxes. The landlord gets off too easy.
today single tax men object to giving him any
more favors. The silk-stocking who advo-
Gates the lowering of assessments should be
arrested for conspiring to break the law,
which says all property should be assessed at
It's full value w. ]. Gallagher
1lO7 Twentieth avenue north, Minneapolis