The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-08
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nent making the method OF taxation
OPTIONAL. II that amendment means
single tax, il will be destructive OF all
right to own home. II means moth
ing short Of the confiscation OF private
ownership in land. 1t means that land
shall be taxed up to it's full market
value, ard that all other forms Of prop
erty shall be exempt 1t means that
the owner OF 500 lot viii have 10
bear his full proportion of all the taxes
thrust upon him by the exemption OF
even 100000 worth Of personal prop
erty consisting Of stocks and bonds.
wealth. The man who owns his home
will be worse of than the man VINO
possesses that amount of personal
property.
In this state the value of lands, ex-
elusive of improvements. is $l3s ,070,-
$50. The value OF Improvements and
personal property is $ss.s5o. $3.50. A very
simple calculation will show that at
present real estate pays two-thirds Of
the taxes and improvements and per-
sonai property pays one-third. Under
the single tax system the real estate
would have. To pay the whole amount
and the taxes would be so per cent
more.
Some persons have assumed that if
they had not TO pay any personal tax
they would be better off; that Is not so.
They would have 10 pay the full
amount of the additional tax in rent
for their homes, and II the system
were not complete, and the land owner
had any shadow of title. they would
have to pay him profit in addition.
But suppose ii should fall short OF
single tax and be only used to make
special exemptions. 1t would be in vio-
lation of the most righteous of all
principles. Populst doctrine is sup
posed 10 be equality for all and special
privileges 10 none. Yet by this very
act they propose inequality to all and
special privileges for a few.
See how the thing would work. If
town council or the county commits
sioners. authorized by blind vote Of
the people. could make exemptions in
certain cases. a city OF county would
be at the mercy of powerful corpora
bsa Irfxr
to the wall A railroad company. for
instance. could pit Tacoma. against Sc
attic and say that the city which gave
il immunity from taxation for the
longest term of years should have the
preference in its policy. 1t would not
be stated in these words of course but
the people themselves Of each city
would make bids in order to tempt the
railroads TO extend particular favors.
So with new manufactures. The
promoters woul2 take advantage of
the rivalry of the two places 10 secure
similar exemptions. If they We're large
and powerful. they might tempt weak
bodies to accede to their terms. while
the smaller manufacturer would be too
weak and of too little Importance to
secure these privileges. In justice, 1t
should be said. that the exemption is
10 include all OF a class, but anybody
familiar with tho operation OF such
laws knows how easy it is to evade
them when there is money involved
For instance, it might be possible to
make a law which should apply to all
its southern boundary and crossing
two lines Of railroads on the way
This classification would be complete
In itself, bat II would not be difficult
to pick out the corporation it was in
tended TO benefit. This Is an extreme
case, bat scarcely less discriminating
legislation has found its way onto the
statute books.
II the object is only to make a rea-
sonable exemption so as TO help those
who find it hard to pay taxes. then let
that be distinctly stated and there is
scarcely a man in the state Of Wash
ington who wifi not vote for II.
The great objection to the proposed
amendment is that ii IS an ingenious
device by which 10 accomplish an un-
seen but suspected purpose Il should
be voted down Every constitutional
amendment which does not clearly
state its purpose. - that the people
may know precisely what they are vot-
ing for should always he voted down