The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-03-12
Good Roads and Revenue.

EdA II
Many people believe that good roads
or other public improvements cause an
enhanced value to attach to houses and
all of improvements upon land;
but such theory is certainly %untenable.
Houses are never worth any more than
1t costs to reproduce them, and surely
if the cost of hauling the material is
considered, good roads ought in that
particular to cheaper the building OF ii
house. And again, If the M
we're drawn from the proper source,
namely, land values, with tariffs abol-
isheL, as they should be, with no indi-
rect tax upon materials which enter
into buildings, it Is impossible that
buildings, or any other property which
Is the product of human exertion,
should be enhanced IN value by the
better facilities for their production |
think no theorizing is required. A.
past experience is overwhelmingly IN
evidence that material progress, the
arts, inventions and discoveries in har-
mony with public improvements such
US good roads, highways and railroads,
have ever tended very ~decidenly to the
cheapening of all manner of goods or
property of any kind which is the
product of human skill, enterprise or
exertIon, everything in fact which can
be properly termed private property.
But on the other hand, land or natural
resources, with increase of population
competing for its use does enhance in
value, but not everywhere alike. Where
population is O dense there the
Oan mali finn 10 Yraufoof and tho ra1r.
the highest I; there is where the mos,
public revenue is needed, and there in
like rOportiOn it exists, which fact
must be strong evidence that a tax on
the value of land must be the natura
system of raising revenue. Now the
contention that what benefits the land
lord benefits the farmer (tenant) let's
see: The (tenAnt) farmer pays over TO
the landlord One price being thai
which competition sets) for the priv
lege of exclusive possession of a certain
site. Through the use of that partlcu-
lar site if in case Of great rOad I'M
provementss increase of population and
general growth, he, the tenant, pays
Increased rent for the use of thai site,
but who does he pay it TOP He pays II
W N"N NhA VIC nav 6cCD
hat this renal value of bare land, but
not improvements, belongs to society
or the public. That The tenant has paid
the valse over to the landlord, aud
that he pockets this public revenue.
Now this Is clearly not equal benefits,
and it Is unjust and is very far from
being in accord with the principle OF
''eGuai rights to all, and special privi-
leges 10 none" But it is an Institutional,
not an individual wrong. The writer
does not in the least sense blame the
landload. Our present system of taxa
lion 10 wrong.
A general property tax is wrong IN
principle rs the bulk Of u is levied on
private individual property which IS
the product of labor, like houses and
improvements, and all manner of
wealth which is the product of labor
and capital exerted on land, which all
belongs TO some one by right of pro-
ductiOn. A gen raj property tax is
generally shifted by frat payers unto
of goods in higher prices
just as tariff taxes are, and, therefore,
falls as a great burden upon the con-
sumers; those of moderate means and
the poorer class.
o the greatest thing tha a gov
eminent ear DO for the various indi-
Viduals constituting the same, is to
secure the best use of land. This can
be done by the easy and simple means
OF resorting 10 land values for the sup
port OF government, which will have
the effect of reducing the present
values, which are very much specula-
tive. Then economic rent only will
exist, better land and opportunities will
thin come to the hand of labor, and
wages will Immediately rise to the full
earnings of labor, and the proper
equilibrium between production and
consumption will be established.
Industry would take on . new Impetus,
the laborIng masses would be happy,
c"ntepted aud prosperous; labor and
capital would flow into our state. and
neither the individual landlord, nor the
state, county o municipal govern
1ients would tax il, aud why could we
not control the markets of all our sis
ter states until they would be compelled
to follow our example; while the
national government would doubtless
abolish tariffs entirely, and the custom
houses could be used for other aud
better purposes.
Truly, then would the highest capa-
bIlliies of orr slate be developed and
thu5 solve The labor problem. do away
with involuntary poverty, raise wages
in all occupations to the full earnings
Of labor. Make owe production I'M
possible until all human wants were
satisfied render labor saving lnven-
lions a blessing TO all, and cause such
an enormous production and such an
equitable distribution OF wealth as
would give all comfort, leisure and
participation in the advantages Of an
advancing civilization.
q. w. EADISGTON.