The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-04-19
Voice of
fhe People

THE SINGLE LAND TAX HuMBuG

THE SINGLE LAND TAX HuMBuG'
Editor Providence News:
The single land tax is another sw1ndling
scheme Of political machine bosses 20 rob
us bread winners OF the chance OF owning
humble homes or TO rob US OF our homes
# we have them. The plan is as follows
First. certain artful dodgers who own
hundreds Of millions of personal property,
are 10 be exempt from all taxation be-
cause they sneaklngly and dishonesty
cover II up. In this way the single land
tax rewards the dishonest tax dodger.
Second. millionaires marble. freestone
and brick palaces are To he exempt from
all taxation. Third. all the great mills
machinery, work shops and other plant
buildings and contents are 10 be exempt
from All taxation. This leaves, say. about
one-quarter the value OF property In land
To be taxed at $50 per $1,000 Instead or
sl250. Then the real farmer. with NoD
building on 80 acres OF land worth t25 per
acre would be taxed s27 while the wealthy
man. on his county residence, costing
S20. 600 on 20 acres next 10 the farmer -
taxed $3.50. And this sw1ndle Is called
single tax reform; nevertheless, the name
cannot cover It's wholesale robbery OF tho
farmer and wage Garner
Under the single land tax farming could
not be made 20 pay unless carried on eN-
tensively by men OF wealth who could
own plenty OF supplies. horses. oxen,
sheep, cows. moving machines and every
up-to-date utensil for the work. Every
farmer I'm moderate circumstances would
be forced 10 sell his farm and his modest
dwelling 10 the rich man who could buy
Il at hts own price. In fact, under the
single land tax swindle there wouldn't be
any middle class. but the nation would be
divided into two classes--one class rolling
In wealth and the other half-clothed.
half-starved and half-frozen throughout
the winter.
And when I have made the above state
ment / have been met with this reply. IL
IL deserves the name OF reply, "Oh, you re
a socialist" Well suppose | am social
ist. what OF IL? Is that a satisfactory re-
ply TO my statements7 n so. then l am
incapable OF understanding the satisfac-
tory reply.
"But" said James p. Reid, once social
list candidate for governor OF Rhode I'll
and, some single land taxer will tell us
that the land should be free for anyone
10 work and that then the poor man
would stand an equal chance with the
rich. Nevertheless. imagine the land free
and the poor man starts out with his
shovel. hoe and a few primitive utensils
10 compete with the rich farmer. He and
his family would probably starve TO death
I'm six months. II any OF you think
otherwise, the ocean Is free and you can
compete with iron steamers and ocean
palace greyhounds. Friends. the whole
think In a snare and delusion."
Said another socialist candidate for
governor, think II was Mr.. McDermont;
You may tell us that the main thing
to do is TO put down the trusts so that
prices cannot be raised. and then with
free trade the poor man would prosper.
And vet have noticed that. not only
the coal barons put UP their prices for
a ton of coal from 80 to 80 and some
times double or more. but the farmer
lost no time in raising the price OF wood
while the woodchopper put up the
price OF cutting from 80 cents 10 sl.2.
Ny friends. ! tell you, and you Will yet
see It. that nothing save public owner
ship can ever solve these problems and
give the wage Garner anywhere near the
share OF profits TO which he Is entitled"
While have not quoted the exact
words, my memory is SO reliable that ]
run little or no risk in saying that the
substance IL correct
Since writing the foregoing I notice the
statement OF an editorial In the News
that 2s 1000 New Workers. have sworn off
the personal property. amounting to hun
dreds of millions. would not have 10 be
sworn off. but the tax would be gen
erously remitted and tucked onto tho
wage earners houseiots.
The facts are that land Ia already taxed
for double the amount 1t should be. Land
taxes should be made as low as possible
TO encourage the wage Garner to own his
own home and induce more people to be-
come farmers. while franchises ought to
bear a much larger share Of the cost OF
government
Having thrown down the gauntlet In
defence of ship subsidies 10 provide EN-
ploymeut for 5000, 900 more wage earners.
I'm defence OF Moses as the greatest man
I'm all ancient history, In defense Of
Christianity as tho influence most needed
By mankind. in defense of n protective
tariff 10 provide bread winners with
work now add my determination to de-
fend the wage Garner and farmer against
the single land tax swindie.
A LIFELONG WAGE FARMERS AD-
VOCATE