The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-12-02
Less Taxes to Paw:
Smaller Bills at
the Grocery Store

There Is waiter ut Grants cafe
who. when we eat there. hovers at
our elbow. anticipating our every
wish. lie always gets tip
We are at pains 70 reward him
for his service. because we know
what he is thinking about while he
hovers sollcitonsly near.
He is thinking about 10 acres OF
land covered with stumps,
We know a street ear conductor
who owns 10 acres OF logged.off
|, land. and newspaper reporter
who owns eight.
And the waiter, the conductor.
the reporter and many more. VINO
haven't enough money To clear
their land. or who haven't any land
10 clear. but would like some. are
hoping that the people OF Seattle
and King county will vote Saturday
fer the proposed agricultural lands
commission
We hope SO. too. though We
haven't any land and don't want
any
And the purpose az this story is
90 tell why these land.hungry men
want an agricultural land district
and why. also. you. who intend al.
ways to be a city-dwellcr, would
be as anxious for this reform as
they are.
But. first. a word about the
land.
God made u. Birds ard
beasts lived on II. The In
dams hunted over a. But no
body really used Il until the
white men came. The frat
white men stole II frcri the
government. committing per
Jury 70 get Il. but no one Is
questioning their titles a. this
late day.
They stripped the timber of
the land. leaving the stumps.
And now they are holding u
for speculative purposes II
may be worth a. high ~ $40 an
acre. ssurps thrown In. but the
owners won't sell u. Nor Will
they use II.
They srvd9lnoiy pay sases
on R-Ar A VALUATION OF
So AN ACRE.
Now. let us say that two mon.
Bill Smith and sam Jones. who
might be walters. or conductors, or
reporters. are after the same Job.
We like 90 use the names. Smith
and Jones, in this connection be
cause they are so many OF them
that they are OF far more i'm.
lportance 20 society than even the
Montmorencys or the Piautagenets.
bill and Sam. though renters.
She landlords pay taxes mako me
Tired. Bfll and Sam and their
wives and children eat food and
wear clothes
The Northwest ssts $4,000 900
worth Of vegetables and small
fruits from California every year.
We eat 5000. 900 worth o. eggs
from the Middle West every year.
We eat s5.ocoo 900 worth Of live
pig" from the Middle West every
We eat $4,000. 900 worth Of pork
products shipped In from else
We eat s,o.ooo.o 900 worth Of but.
ter from New Zealand and eIse-
whore.
Indeed. we raise but a quarter Of
the food we need here in the North
west
To return to Bill Smith and Sam
Jones and the one Job. Bill gets
II.
Sam moves onto the land that
we, through the agricultural lands
commission. are going 10 help him
TO clear. Or perhaps he hasn't any
land. in which case we will sell
him a few acres on easy terms.
We first of all decker with the
great lumber company that years
ago stole land from the govern
ment
Give you $50 an acre" we say.
take II or leave II"
Nothing stirring" says the lum-
Der company. Our land Ia not for
sale"
ALL RIGHT. WE MAKE THE
LUMBER COMPANY PAY TAXES
ON a VALUATION OF $40 IN
STEAD OF So.
Sam, you remember, stays In the
city. Sam pays less taxes In pro-
portion az the lumber company.
which has in the past evaded It's
obligation, pays more.
The lumber company will be
more willing 10 sell next time we
come around with an offer.
We might offer $40,
Bill turns farmer.
He was one too many In the city.
The jails, poor.houses and siums OF
every city are filled with the Bills
who wanted the Jobs the Sans got.
With the stumps. Bits land IL
y worth $50 an acre. With the
THE MARKETS /
Price. paid producer. for vegetables
and fruits
corrected daily by J. W. Goodwin q COZ
Apples, local cooking rs n 12b
Yakima potatoes ........f1oo u25.00
white river potatoes ....isOo 077Oe
Onions .-+.............. .o1AD .07tA
Onions green ........... 40
aquash Hubbard ...... .oiLn OH
Purnp hin ..+-.-s........ OF
Cabbage .s..-+.s.s..s.ss +OlHu tolA
C'uruulhsrs s.ss....s.... ID LIB
Teefa sack ........+..s. ID IS