The record-union., 1897-01-26
RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS AS
MONOPOLIES.

1t would not be difficult to return to
the old condition when the church was
the over -shadowing monopoly, and the
shortest road to that consummation
would be by the exemption of its prop
erty from taxation. In the days Of VOL
sey the church was the great absorbant
of the substance of the poor. The faded
splendors of Hampton Court still at
tend the superb grandeur in which his
grace, the Cardinal, lived. The prelates
and the clergy lived in sumptuous pal
aces and reveled in wealth, while the
masses of men rotted in squalor and
rags and filth. The exemption Of church
property, college property, the prop
erty of private schools, or any other
property places the exempted party at
such advantage with reference to his
purchasing power as to leave nothing
70 obsuuct his becoming opulent
through the operation Of the exemption
alone.
In Glenn County the rate Of taxation
is 2 per cent. We know of an estate in
that county assessed at 81, ,375, 900, upon
which 1t pays per cent. taxes, and
which could be purchased to-day for
1000, 900. If this property could be
placed IN a state of exemption from tax
alton by a single purchaser, that pur-
chaser could afford to pay more for it
than any competitor. In this instance
the property is paying 2 per cent in the
way of taxes on 1915, 900 more than is
asked for 1t. and probably S450,000
more than the actual valuation. Sup
pose a private school desired to become
the possessor Of this property. It's ex-
a per cent. per annum subsidy on the
investment.
Moreover, we know of an instance
where a theological seminary became
the possessor of a valuable vineyard
property through the foreclosure Of a
mortgage. Ought this vineyard to be
exempt from taxation? 1t is operated
by a seminary through a lessee who
pays given rent and the taxes. Shall
this lessee be afforded special immuni-
ties from taxation in the production of
wine2 If the vineyard is the property
of the theological seminary, the wine
belongs to the grapes, the grapes belong
TO the vines and the vines belong to the
seminary, and the entire equipment is
a part of the endowment and support of
a theological seminary and would be
exempt from taxation because dedi-
Gated to popular education: or, to apply
the language of the San Francisco ''Ex-
a.nliner." because it is performing for
the State a duty ii owes to its citizens"
by teaching them Presbyterian theology.
The lessee of this place would be spec
tally advantaged In the competitive race
with neighboring vineyards His pro-
duct would always be the property of
the theological seminary. There would
always be some pretense by which the
wine itself, UP to the time Of it's sale,
would be deemed the property Of the
seminary.
Under all the circumstances we are
disposed to regard the proposition Of the
exemption from taxation Of the prop
erty of private schools. privately en-
dowed universities, church property and
denominational schools as very dan
gerous innovation and as tending TO es-
tablish at once new and dangerous
form of monopoly. Under operation of
exemption from taxation it requires but
a short time to have that exemption
equal the actual value of the property.
If in a county where the taxes are per
cent. a farm is exempt at the end OF
fifty years, the exemption has paid the
value of the farm. 1t is safe to say that
if an Individual can secure at the hands
of the state of California exemption OF
anv property he owns he will very soon
become the owner of all the property in
the State.