The independent., 1903-10-15
TAX LAWS IN MANITOBA.


during the recent years; 5.791 went in
1900; $4,000 in 1901; $1,000 in 1902,
and 1880 in 1903-over 100000 In
four years. The vast majority OF these
went into Manitoba, and practically
all of them are homeseekers. Ener-
getic young men and ambitious farm
hands and tenants. they were among
the best citizens we had, and their go
ing was a distinct loss. to us. More
over. next years loss bids fair to ex-
ceed this years, and when the next
panic comes, the movement promises
to be less like an exodus and more
like a stampede.
While most of our readers know OF
this, few are aware OF the inducements
Manitoba is offering. These are due,
not to better natural conditions, but
to better laws. Manitoba lies imme-
diately north of Dakota and Mime
sofa. Its soil is very similar to that
OF those two states, and its climate is
much more vigorous. 1t does not have
nearly such diversity OF products as
Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas or Ohio, but
its laws more than compensate for all
defects of climate.
Her land is cheap. Cheap land
means a nation of home owners ana
dear land means nation OF tenants.
A nation Of home owners is better than
a nation of tenants thousand TO
one. Manitoba knows this, and the
central design of her laws is to keep
land cheap and thus invite more home
seekers. and. at the same time, to en-
courage production and to discourage
speculation and land monopoly TO
this end. she has enacted into law
greater measure of the single tax idea
than any other place of equal size on
earth. Except few Australian towns
and the village of Fairhope, Ala,
there is no place where citizens enjoy
such exemption from taxation as the
farmers and gardeners of Manitoba.
She assesses farm and garden land
at ito unimproved, or prairie value,
and frees from taxation all the i'm
provements which the settler makes.
Houses, buildings, fences, orchards,
grain, flour, clothing, furniture, books,
etc. pay no taxes whatever
In other words, no farmer is pun
ished for building beautiful home
place on a piece of bare prairie land,
and no speculator is rewarded for
holding land idle and out of use. In
this way is production encouraged and
land speculation made Improbable.
There is thus no inducement for any
but actual settlers to acquire title,
and no incentive for settler to take
more than he can use.
The cities do not enjoy such COM
plete freedom yet, but they have more
than any cities in the United States.
In Winnipeg, the capital, all personal
property is exempted.
This system has been in force for
eleven years and has given complete
satisfaction to all but the land-grab-
bers. The annual tax for quarter
section Of land averages about $12,
and that is all the tax the farmer has
tt. pay.
When we consider the unjust prin-
ciple beneath our own tax laws, and
the inquisitorial and expensive meth
ods of levying assessments. is it any
wonder that the people prefer Mani
toba in spite of it's drawbacks?
One lesson at least is plain. The
central west offers greater natural in
ducements to immigrants than Cana
da ever can. If our legislators had
done what Manitoba's have, this great
stream of home-seekers would have
flowed into our state instead of out
OF it and out of the country. These
people have been crowded out-not for
lack of vacant land, but for lack of
access to it. Had our last legislature
provided a tax law like Manitoba's
instead of the infamous revenue meas
ure they did give us. not only would
these thousands of people have settled
among us on our vacant land, but we.
who have always lived here, would
have been given tho advantages which
so manv are now leaving the country
to obtain.
let everv farmer think of this. and
exert his strongest Influence. (1) in the
coming ele lion to elect such men as
oDpose the false principle underlying
the present revenue law. and (2) next
year to elect LEGISLATORS who will re-
peal tsat law and frame one founded
OF the just PRINCIPLES of taxation in
pronortiOn to benefits. instead of in
prOportion IN honesty Or inductrv -f.r