The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-06-04
How Shall We Make Florida Prosperous
To the Editor of the Banner;

To the Editor of the Banner:
our citizeus must first realize that commerce
aud manufacturing, the building Of railroads and
The establishing OF telegraph, telephone, cleo
tried, gas and other plants, make great cities
and great states. For many years past our peo-
pie have been specializing IN real estate and
have mistaken the swapping Of one lot for an
other, or the swapping of lots for dollars and
dollars for lots as being traffic and commerce.
It is hardly traffic. II is certainly not commerce.
The present deplorable prices OF real estate IN
Ooala, and the worse fate OF Marti City, show
Row ansubstantial IS this character of building
J he people OF Florida have great duty to
dischaige. That IS the steady and persistent
effort 10 develop the STATE and It's cities The
Nottingham, the merchant, the banker, the
farmer the manufacturer, the railroad builder,
aud ali the forces composing the life Of states,
ate interested, and should use every known
agency 10 turn the t.ue Of fortune toward u ~ a
STATE and IA nation. speaking IN narrower
sense immigration shsuid be induced to settle
lu the lands vi Flornas, aud we should use he
role efforts to make ueala a distributing point.
Geographically 1t commands the key, but II has
less favorable ireiant rates than any OF its
aei4.aoosiug cities. !. mas higher ire1ght rates
.. uJ, complain pat J.s lhc contrary, thins il
ger.ee,iy rsat t.~, .ae stale shouid aid in
..,e balldiu2 OF 1a4.r.ads, canals aud other
sat enterprises. ANA il 1t j. right to give aid
- railroads in Tie shape OF large slices Of the
pubic domain Is it upt also right to aid the cti-
zan. by whose sweat and toll, after all all perm
anent prosperity depends! Give him lands and
utensils with which 10 cultivate these lands, or
letter still, make speculation in lands inpossi
bIe aud this will favor their cultivation. Briefly
stated, it is necessary, in order to attain the
grewth and prosperity Use both adjectives as
the terms are not synonymous sought BY the
people Of Florida that fines cyacted in the shape
Of taxes on the probation OF wealth be aboi
ished III Ocala. or elsewhere, y hen iGan
crccts a dwelling, big little he is hne' for it.
II he IS $ banker and erects a fine banking Is
Enlistment he is fined for il II he goes TO the
primeval forests fels the trees and in THEN
stead builds productive orchard, he 1t discouy
aged By a tax If he builds a railroad through a
sparsely settled region and opens ii up to immi
grafton he is fined for his enterprise by the i'm
position Of great hia ta& file builds hotel
10 encourage the growth OF the city he not only
has to pay bis share Of the general tax, but has
Il
turer, he must not only pay duties on the mate
rials he uses. but must pay state, county aud a
municipal tax, until he has nothing left to pay
bis iaboregs and retaiu proht for himself Its
tax, tax tax. We aye taxed 10 death Il Is liz
wonder THAI distress everywhere prevails Will
burdensolnc taxes, every year becoming more
burdeusome II Is the marvel Of The age that We
have nadc the growth we have
If ouI great party papers and their thoughtful
correspondents wonld start crusade agains'
firing industry and advocate the taxing Of those
who hold 1aud for speculation including those
who moaopolize natural resources they would
be on the right tack and right track Let them
advocate the abolition Of the taxes that restrain
ard discourage industry, and lrge that taxes be
tasen cat ofthe natural resources. lie. ali pub
lie revenue be derived solely from natural
sources It is the only policy they can urgs
Justly for the advancement Of industrial interests
i'll state and cities.
Tax the land Don't tax the man Let what
ne makes belong TO him. Tax what he makes il
on. Ken productive lands held for speculation
is the thing 10 be taxed