Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-01-20
4 FARMER DISCUSSES
SINGLE TAX SCHEME


Dear Sir: OF all the grunts thai
ever came forth from the goggle-eyet
flnancier this "slngle tax" monstros
ity IS entitled to the pastry. What
a plain philanthropic proposition Il
this.
They profess to be after the land
holder, especially the unfortunate In
vestor In n-productive land. How
sweet Of them, to single out the farm
er and allow him the precious priv
llege Of "toeing the load" paying the
expenses OF the government, while
the poor banks and business men
those who own sky scrapers 25
stories high so scot free
II can sec Mr. Sky-scraper
owner, cooking his feet up In the fire
place as his five hundred or more
tenants line up to pay the monthly
rent, averaging about fifteen per
cent on his investment be-
cause he pays no taxes, save a lit
tie to the insurance company that, by
the way, is not taxed, upon their
horded millions, and when the tax
collector comes around he Is directed
by the insurance companies to go to
the farmer now, and the skyscraper
magnate points his finger to the door
saying "the farmer pays the taxes
nowadays" SO the banker, poor
banker, chuckles and says "our farm
ers are paying the taxes" he rail-
roads are to pay taxes on the value
less 15O-foot roadway, nothing on
their equipment and stocks, the
bondholder goes scot free, everything
Is now charged up to the land
owner.
How magnificent! And we are
told that 1T won't hurt any hardly
at all" The manufacturing inter
ests, woolen mills, steel mills, includ-
ing poor Mr.. Carnegie, and brother
Rockefeller with all his hundreds Of
millions Of wealth, mo tax" the
combined wealth in cash represented
In the United States, billions upon
ibllllons, and the mighty pyramid Of
wealth represented in the productssof
the country ALL all are to become un-
taxed, and the great load to be placed
upon the shouldeF Of the only asset
from which you and !, and every
business man draws inspiration for
good times of the future. When frost
hits his grain, storms, cut worms,
grasshoppers, cyclones, drowths and
a hundred and one things hit the
farmer, you will see II indexed at
once In the face OF the wise business
man. When this sociallstic propo-
sltion Is folsted upon the people you
will see II first tried In the counties
with the largest cities, because of
the riffraff who represent nothing
but a vote, who can always be count
ed on to support Vicious legislation,
for they are "agln" everything but
oonflscatlon, This whole scheme was
incubatod In the cradle OF deception
from start TO finish. nursed in the
dark, and lnoculated with a NANCY
itch for notorlety
II would seem to be the better pol
icy TO take as much burden as Is
equitable from the farmer TO the end
that the more inviting the occupation
the more largely patronizlng, and
consequently, the cheaper the prod
ucts OF consumption from the farm.
In other words In Just the pro-
portion as the increase OF taxation
and expense In raising food stuff
bears 20 It's production will be the
advance TO the consumer, Hence, is
It not true that with the burden lift
ed from the many wealthy, Il ia at
once placed upon the shoulders OF
the consumer, many OF whom at this
time pay no tax at all, For by no
hocus pocus proceedings can we com
lpcl the farmer TO produce crops
without adequate returns therefor,
and II the rich banker. the Rockefel-
lcr aud Carnegie are relieved OF
taxes, the poor will have to contrib
ute that much larger than now TO
make good the deficit, and Of this
there Is not the least doubt In the
world And why II Is desired to re.
lleye the capitalist OF tax aud place Il
upon IN consumer | have not been
able TO make out.
FARMER