Evening journal., 1908-03-30

pay interest In the shape of a tax
IL we want to encourage industry
why do we fine men for being indus
trious enough to build a house which
cannot be done without employing
labor?
If you employ labor to tear down and
destroy property. you will not be tax
ed, but If you employ labor TO make
lany Improvement the assessor will
hunt you up Immediately and up will
so your tax.
To the worklngmen. How do YOU
expect to get work If we tax men for
building houses or factories which
ldiscourages them from building. It is
these that make work. and il they are
not built you viii not have work.
To the merchant. How do you ex-
pect to find sale for your goods il we
tax people for improvements. For IL
they are not made you will not have
any demand for the goods you have for
sale, and labor will not have work.
and II labor has no work how can you
expect to sell your goods.
To the manufacturer. How do Won
expect to sell the goods you manufac-
ture when we tax people for using
things you make. you will not be able
to sell them, and so you will not find
such ready market for your goods.
and thus your business win not be so
great, for IL is the power of the people
to purchase your goods that deter
mines what your output will be. It is
our present system Of taxation which
II gNscourages industry. Remove the
taxes from industry and tax nothing
but land value, and your business will
revive.
Can you not see that when we tax
improvements we discourage improve
ments, and consequently you will not
find sale for your material?
Can you not see that 20 tax industry
is to discourage It, and If we want in
Idustry It is foolish to tax men for
being Industrious. Wilmington can
mot have too many manufacturers and
1--we should encourage them to locate
here by exempting them from taxation
on their improvements. Can you not
see that IL we offer them this induce
lment 70 locate here free Of taxes on
their Improvements we will be giving
them an advantage over other cities
where they arc taxed? This win in
duce manufacturers to locate in our
city, and the more Of them we have
the more people will be needed to dc
the work. and this will increase our
population, and make\ Wilmington
a great city, but II Is foolish to think
lmen will leave other places to come
here If they cannot gain any advan-
ltage by coming. If we could have Of
fered the Baldwin locomotive works
this inducement, would ot have in
duced them to locate instead OF
lat Eddystone where tley will have
TO pay tax on all Of their land anc
improvements? But under our pres
ent system of taxation there is no ad.
vantage in locating here.
We tax imports to encourage home
industry. and then we immediatell
tax home industry and discourage 1t.
If a man would show you as many
defects In your own business undei
your present system Of management
, as 1 have shown you to exist unde
our present system Of taxation. yol
: would mighty soon change your methol
Of business.
II / were TO try to sell you a ma
, chine which was as defective as on
!, present system Of taxation you woul
think It absurd. You would not hav
It as a gift unless 1t were to throw
n in your scrap pile to keep others froT
getting stuck with Il.
. This is the way we would manaE
our own business. and the municipa
q county State and national govern
: ment Is the business of all. so let U
/, apply our business sense to its man
e lagement. and raise our revenue by tax
! ing land according to its value an
4 exempt all Improvements and indus
4 try from taxation. BY so doing W
\ win be showing our practical businos
4 sense for there is no sensible reaso
> why Industry should be taxed.
/. Yours truly.
! Alex. d. Stirlith.
Wilmington, March 30, 1908.