The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-05
woonsocket. January 8. 1903.
Providence. Jan 3, 100

Providence. Jan 3, 1903.
Editor The Providence News:
'I say Billy" said to friend the 9TH
er day (and ny the way my friend Billy
is a ,high-muck-a-muck in the labor
unions. a regular pumed knight In the
advanced guard of labor. The net debt
OF the city OF Providence Is over $1,000
900
Whats that To me-" answered Billy.
II don't pay any taxes"
Are you sure you don't7'
Sure? Sure I'm sure
DO you live in the city,"
Sure, Did you suppose I Lived in
/ Pawtucket7
NO. thought you lived in house 4"
80 10. DO you think I'm a tramp"
"Do you pay rent for the house you oc-
cupy?"
We'll. you don't suppose anybody is
foolish enough to let occupy his house
for nothing
mo not quite as foolish as that. only
foolish enough to let you occupy Il with
out making you pay the tax on IT..
Billy looked at me a moment as though
he was cornered. The few listeners laugh
ed. Billy laughed also. He was cor
nered. but BY no means cornered that
when he paid ren. for tenement he also
paid the tax One of the audience took a
hand at the argument and asked this
question. Suppose the tax was removed,
would Billy pay less rent?'
Billy eyed me with a new expression
on his good natured face don't know
whether he thought II was my turn To be
cornered. or whether II was simply GU
r.osity To hear my answer. | don't know.
Certainly he would" answered.
How" II was "A chorus OF voices
which put the question
out for yourself, Supposng you were
going to put your money in a house
what would you do IL for. understanding
OF course. that you were not to oc-
ITO make money. of course" was the
unanimous reply.
money you would first figure out the cost
and then the expense of maintenance Am
| right"
"One Of the expenses OF maintenance
Billy laughed Now will you be good"'
The house I live in" spoke up one OF
my listeners. hardly pays the tax.
Aye" seconded Billy, "the rent of this
shop doesn't pay the owner per cent on
THAT may be-" said These are In
dividual cases. but there IL string at
ts tsGhed o even & 70 them; Rent; IKE & every y
ply. The small rent you pay ] said,
replying To the first ''is due to the fact
that no one will pay more than YOU ,, 90,
or, In other words, you must put up with
some inconveniences. In spite OF the h,gn
the benefit df II iss benehp from rom some os
no tax on improvements. capital would
invest In houses IL would be n better In
vestment than It is now. Am right
well. II more houses were built and
the demand was no greater rents would
30 down would they not?
Yes"
''wouidn't that effect the rent OF your
cheap tenement? You are not satisfied
now OF course. ySA are not We all
want all we can get for our money 1t
makes no difference to us what a home
costs and when you saw n house going
up having Just the tenement you wanted
for g. 10 81 month less than such
tenement ever rented before your land
lord would recognize the force OF your
argument and drop your rent accord
ingly."
Now, as for your argument, Billy. that
this shop rents for less than four per cent
OF its value This is a valuable piece
" land. the building - an old. dilapidated
shanty. ONLY a few businesses could be
conducted In II and the competition for
Il Is not brisk The small rent yoif pay
saves the owner from the expense of
maintenance Aiu hiNfF Hlfu ltInf W Sfil ~
advantage, or TO improve II when he
thinks the expenditure will pay. And
when ne does your boss must get And
when he IL elected you may be out of
employment. See. Billy7"
"Oh. never worry worry until worry
worries YOU" sang Billy
That's all right. Billy" I ssid, "bpt
what 7 want To Impress upon YOU IL the
fact that YOU pay taxes and where YOU
are surest YOU escape them. ln the small
rent your boss paws for this piece OF prop
erty that 10 anects YOU very means OF
subsistence and Affects " more injuri-
ouslv than your labor union can benefit
you This debt % sisOco.ono has TO bc
paid and you men who are getteg two
To three dollars dav and own prop
ortv are tho very men who must settle
for the larger part ~ H."
hut billy only laughed and invited me
90 call again.
when / called again the dlspidated
shpp was gone. a handsome building
was being erected on the spot Htlly Wa
l. oAn n1 fne