The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-10-20

value OF the land. The best lot in
this city has reached value of $4,000
per loot frontage, equivalent to ST.
| l40,VJv per acre. A hundred years ago
this land had no value but with every
addition to the population 1t has kept
advancing to it's present figure. Year
after year the people have been paying
a higher and higher figure for the OPP
Iportunity to do business on that site.
rvs y decade the obligation of the
people has grown larger and larger.
4 The more the occupants have paid the
more they.~hav had to pay. Thus as
the owner of the land grows to greater
fortune occupants are crushed down
and kept. down by an obligation in
creasing at such a rate that it matters
not how much men improve their
methods of production, the mass OF
the toilers must inevitably be kept
close to the home of penury. From
this system of taxation come booms
and bankruptcies, mutations and de-
t2ressions, extortions and spoliations,
1.-The home of. leisure filed with over
flowing fuxa,ss,-sHlh.ilee the house Of in
dustry is blighted with psAslfy
ciety is thus split in twain, one part
must toll like slaves to do everything
for the maintenance of the whole. By
/ thus placing men in unjust relation
ships one to another, the one part
ldegrades, despoils and impoverishes
the other part We lift extortion into
the palace and crush honesty into the
IhOvel, and thus render our civilization
| in one most important respect Ia
mentable failure.
/ Ask your candidate to let party diff
lfevences have rest for little while
land give some heed to this, the SUI
preme question of the day.
Ask him why it is that while New
Zealand, Australia, British Columbia
and Manitoba have done something to
relieve industry from it's excessive tax
alton, the government of Ontario, so
progressive in other respects, has not
taken the first step in this reform
i Ask your candidate further why he
is silent as tombstone as to the
ubiquitous law which allows land Of
two acres and more to be assessed as
farm land. In this city number of
very wealthy men own about 800 acres.
assessed at an average of about $700
per acre, equivalent to less than 81
per foot front, while the land occu-
pied by the laboring classes is as
Isessed from $40 to $50 per foot
Every candidate should be asked
what his Intention is as to this ini-
.iquitous distinctions the rich mans
<acfssf xxod 1rVrr f1,o -
tage taxed to the mt.
The assessment act allows any mn-
ricipality. if confirmed by two-thirds
vote of the electors on the roll. to ex-
empt any manufacturing establishment
for period of ten years from taxa
ton. This law means that the indus
try inside four walls can be exempted,
but the industry outside the four walls
| must he taxed. Ask your candidate
why industries should be thus divided
in the arbitrary fashion, SO that some
may be exempted. as all industry
should be, while other industry must
be taxed
/ The same act allows the exemption
of buildings erected for the storage of
ice; but if building is used for the
storage of dry goods or groceries or
OF family it must be taxed. When
the assessor finds two men erecting
buildings he asks from the first: "What
are you going to do with this build
ing?" ITO store ice," replies the man.
God bless you,'' replies the assessor,
good and wise citizen. great shall be
your reward. You shall escape tax
alton. 1t is the ice houses we want"
To the second man he puts the same
query, What are you going to do
with this building?" ''To shelter my
family, OF course" ooh, OH" replies
the assessor, you should not do that.
| We must tax you. You should not
have built home You should have
built refrigerator
Insist that your candidate shall ex-
plain why homes should be taxed and
ice houses be exempted
| Let two men come to this city each
with hundred thousand dollars. You
ask the first what he is going to do
with his money. ITO establish an in
dustry.' he replies II will employ la
Dor, erect buildings and every work.
ing day produce something to add to
the prosperity of the country" Very
we'll then the law ranlieS. ga crnrd