Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-12

ship is confiscation why is 1t no
conhscation TO impair the value o
express company stocks by the parce
post?"
Answer-"There is no similarity il
the two cases. 1t Is not confiscatioI
to extend the operations of public
utility even where the earnings of {
private corporation are affected"
Every time our chairman, Mr.
| George Record, makes speech or
some particular occasion he tells u.
| 1t Is the most significant event since
| Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves
Every time Mr.. Osborne discusses
me he says / have no more right tt
exempt one-half of the improvements
on real estate from taxation thar
| Abraham Lincoln would have had II
he proposed to free one-quarter OF
| the slaves. He does not know his
history That is just what Mr.. Lin
coin did. His complete plan was t.
free the slaves gradually and por-
ton of them at a time until all were
free
1.-THE suggestion I offer to remedy
these conditions Is to enact a law
giving all cities. by referendum, the
right to reduce the tax rate on build
ings 10 per cent. year until the
tax rate, on buildings shall be one
half the tax rate on land. This sug-
gestion Is not new, nor is it radical.
1t is going into effect in cities all
over the country and was adopted by
both Pittsburg and Scranton within
the last few weeks. 1t is not a single
tax proposition; it is not even land
tax, strictly speaking, but, rather, a
tax on land values which do not
justly belong to the owner
Replying to Mr.. Colby's statements,
Mr.. Osborne said:
"I have heard what Mr. Colby
said about good government as pro-
vided by State regulation. but until
you say what you mean by good
government 1t means nothing unless
you mean by good government the
right to correct a mistake when it is
made. The growing boy who stubs
his toe may weep, but he will not
stub his toe on that stone again.
THE man who goes out into the
wilderness and makes improvements
does not add one atom to the value
of the land until the people come.
IF you are looking for an abate-
ment of the interest on millions of
dollars which the Public Service Cor
poration enjoys you have got to carry
on the war. You all know how much
the regulation by the Public Utilities
Commission has reduced the cost of
3
regulation has aided the commuter
or lowered the fares he pays.
"As for the recall of judges; 1t
does not apply to New Jersey, where
we do not elect our judges. If we
elected our judges, though, ( would
fire them the same way I hired them.
'I say, give the cities nome rule
now, and do not wait until we have
fought the fight and won the initia-
tive and referendum"
= Mr.. Osborne Takes Turn.
Reading the questions put ny Mr..
Colby, one by one, Mr.. Osborne an
swered them all. Only once he
seemed at a loss, and there were
jeers from some of the auditors, but
Mr.. Osborne persisted until he
matters out and pro-
ceeded.
Question-"You advocate that all
indirect taxes be abolished. A tariff
on imports is an indirect tax. To
the tariff altogether means
free trade. In your insistment that
the Progressive program should In
clude free trade and advocate the re-
placing of the tariff by land taxi"
Answer-"I do not advocate that
free trade be adopted now, but grad
ually l would do away with import
taxes altogether. If I could abolish
all custom houses and apply the taxes
on the people I would do SO.
All indirect taxes fall on the con-
sumner. would apply land tax,
certainly, because that form of taxa
ton is the fairest.''
Mr.. Colby arose and asked of Mr..
Osborne: did you say you would
apply the land tax gradually? ?"
1T did not" replied Mr.. Osborne,
firmly, and flushed as many of the
auditors exclaimed, "Oh." Mr.. Os-
borne took a step forward and con-
tinued:
II would pass land tax. If I