Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-02-04
The single Takers.

single takers we lhseI1 INC 4OiiO"'
address. 1t is good food for thought
whether the recommendation should
be carried out OF not.
The Single:Tak association has issued
the following address to Governor Lee
dy and the legislature;
To the Governor, Members OF the legls-
lature, and Citizens of Kansas:
We, fellow citizens with yourselves,
most respectfully call your attention to
the fact of our unjust and vicious sys-
TEN of taxation.
There lie two,pieces of land, which,
in their natural state, are of equal val
he: but if there were no people in the
state. these tracts would have no value
whatever; yet, on account of one and a
L half million people and the expectation
of increase of population, these two
piaces of land have capitalized value
ofS1, 900 each; that is, in order to use
either one of them, a man must give
$1,000 OF it's equivalent. Therefore,
when a man comes into our state with
the intention of becoming useful cit
izen. before he can commence to pro-
duce wealth to satisfy the wants of HIM
self and those dependent upon him, he
is compelled to give up $1,000 of his
hard earned dollars. Then, if he puts
all the land in cultivation, he is taxed
many times more than if he cultivates
but fraction of the land And if he
builds $1,000 dwelling, his yearly fine
will be much more than if he we're to
live in a "dug-out," If he erects II
$1,000 barn for the better sheltering of
his stock he will be taxed much more
than though he left them to take shelter
and comfort behind barbed wire fence.
If he, by his own eXertions, puts $1,000
worth of horses, cattle, hogs, and farm
ing implements on his farm, his taxes
are increased. In fact, the harder he
works, the less he eats, the more he
saves, the higher do we tax him for be-
ing SO Industrious.
On the other hand, the speculator,
holding idle equally as valuable land,
continues to pay nominal tax. To
men who have studied the question it
is clear that this mode of taxation is an
annual fine on industry, and an annual
premium on idleness For with the
Improvement of land and constant in
crease of population, the idle land be-
comes more and more valuable; but
under the present unjust system OF tax
alton, the holder of the idle land does
not pay his just share of taxes,
AS in the above mentioned case the
user of land pays six and seven times
as much taxes as the SPECTATOR, who
holds his land idle. Is there any equity
in that? If man will not work and
produce wealth, we fine HIM for va
grancy. If he changes his mind, or
what some term reforms" and goes
to producing wealth, we tine him again.
IL this not inconsistent? Is there any
reason, common sense or morality
aboutit?
Wewant labor and capital to come
into the state and utilize our vast nat
ural opportunities in producing wealth ;
yet we do everything we con by legisla.
ton to keep them out.
What is the remedy?
1t is a simple one: Again take the
a owe illustration. Why not make the
Spectator, holding his $1,000 plot Of
land idle, pay as much tax as the work
ing farmer, Using his land9 That IL,
exempt all improvements in or on the
land and all other products of labor
from taxation and raise nl} public rev
enue by tax on land values alone
Thus making spectators holding land
idle, pay us much tax rs others pay foz
using like valuable land,
In this manner Of raising public rev.
enue there is no injustice. Land values
are not produced by the owners of lane
as owners; but Independent Of, sepa-
rate and apart from what they may OF
may not do. Land values in the eco
monte sense, are produced by the pres
ence and industry of the whole commu-
nifty; and therefore should be taxed for
the benefit of the community. In thus
taxing land values for public purposes,
you do not take the earnings of labor
or capital, but leave them to the sole
use and enjoyment OF the producers
Following the natural law, that
wealth belongs to him who produce!
it." In thus freeing labor and capita
from all fines and restrictions, we shall
be encouraging the production .
wealth and discouraging the holding o
land idle. Thereby making itmucl
easier for men to get homes, and fnall,
abolishing our accursed system Of ten
ants at will
The cattle, horses, and hogs; tn
breaking up of land the thing an
draining and planting of trees; tn