Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-07-14
The farmer who vrteA f0r

p FNilfi'N W tNifH tf1SIutTdtlOu III Tie
4 way Of good things Of this world The
I Herald is fully convinced. however
= that when the country districts are
l heard from this fall the party respon-
sible for the bill will be relegated to
, the rear. In this connection the
Canon City Clipper. a good Democrat
ic paper. has given considerable at
tention of the measure and printed sev-
eral articles bearing on the subject.
summing up the list few days ago
as follows. and although somewhat
lengthy, we trust every reader will pc
ruse II and cut 1t out for future refer
ence
In the articles that we have pub
lished relative to the Bucklin amend
ment we have clearly shown.
First, that the proposition relat
tive to the state taxes provides that
six-mill tax could he levied on all the
land of the state while only four
mill tax could be levied on any other
class of property and that all the i'm
lprovements. rolling stock and person
al property of whatever nature be-
longing to railway companies could
be exempted from taxation, and that
their only taxation would be on their
franchises in public ways, under
which we are very certain that the
aggregate assessment of all the rail
| roads in the state could not exceed
ten millions OF dollars, whereas the
railroad assessment in 1900 was thirty
two millions and in 1901 one hundred
and six millions.
THAT the system would discrimin-
ate against land owners and favor
those possessed of money. chattels,
improvements and all kinds of person
| al property, and, more than all. would
favor the railroads. 1t would estab-
lish three different systems of taxa
tton for state purposes, which would
be unjust and confusing.
Second, we have shown that the
adoption of the provision relative to
local taxation would permit the es-
tablishment of the single-tax system.
advocated by Henry George in rails
ing taxes for county city and town
governments. and for schools. roads
and all other local purposes. viz: The
land owners would have to pay all the
taxes except what little would be paid
by railway and other corporations on
| their land, rights of way and fran
| chises in public ways. which resolves
| itself down really to a tax on their
lands. For instance. railway COM
pany would be taxed on the land 1t
does not own, but which it has the
use of so long as it uses the land for
I rn iItpDu h,t yvt oh,
vert back to the owner should the rail
way be given up or turned into some
other course. The real owner don't
pay taxes on that land, and the rail.
way company has to. Franchises in
public ways is where a railroad runs
over public highways, either of a coun-
ty, town or city, and that tax would
be simply tax on the land So 1t
can truthfully be said that all the tax
es for all purposes except state taxes
would have to be paid by the land
owners. and all other kinds of prop
erty be exempted from taxation for
local purposes.
Third, we have shown that the
Australian land tax system bears no
resemblance whatever to the system
possible under the Bucklin amendment
and that the system proposed by said
amendment has never been tried at
any place on earth. and fourth we
have shown that Senator Bucklin is
a single-taXer and a socialist; that
the advocates of the Bucklin amend
ment are single-taxers and that the
| single-taXers in the eastern states
recognize it as a single-tax measure
and are raising money to defray the
expense of campaign in this state
to get proposition Incorporated into
our constitution under which they can
test their pet theory here.
And now few words in substan-
tiation Of the last proposition. Bear
in mind that Henry George advocates
the placing of all tax on land, and also
that the Bucklin amendment will per
nit the exemption of all classes OF
property from taxation except land
Senator Bucklin says that his amend
ment would restore to the people of
each couty self government in matters
of taxation" The great argument
OF the advocates of the amendment is
that it puts the matter in the hands
of the people. No one, says Senator
Bucklin. opposes his amendment un-
less he Is afraid OF and distrusts the
people. for all it does is to place the
people In control OF local taxation.
We assert that II does not give the
people control of the matter. 1t
would give them control over only a
portion of taxation. II would give
them power to exempt all classes of
uoperty from taxation except land.
II Senator Bucklin has such faith in
lie people why didn't he propose an
irepdment that would allow the peo-
Sic 10 have full power In the matter.
~ some counties they might exempt
la~l and put all taxes on personal
p cperty and improvements. Give
tee people a show II he thinks they
are capable of self-government; why
this discrimination against land?
"'u; there Is the rub; it is against
land that all these slngle-taxers have
a spite. They don't want to trust
the people only so far as 1t serves
ae'r purpose. His use of catch
phrases of the people" the common