Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-12-26
Former Secretary of Chamber OF
Commerce Addressed Common
wealth Club Last Week.
pENALIZlNG THE DEVELOPER
Placing Tax on Land Values Makes
Spectators Improve Property
or Sell their Holdings.

=. Hills before the Commonwealth |
club at the Harvey Hotel on Tues
day evening of last week
Taxation is II subject that ha~ |
occupied the attention aud study Of .
all Nations for time immrmoriul .
Thus far the subject seems To have
reached n just settlement in only F.
scattered instances, these few bril-
liant exceptions proving the rul,
general around the world ot taxation
inequalities and hardshipS
Governments are continually .
wrestling with the problem of rui-
ing revenue to meet public expense.
On the other hand, citizen, turn
criminals tO evadr the customs
houses illicit stills and Cuban lobur
go outwt the Revenue officer
while respected townsproplc from
New York to the Golden Gate, false
" swear to stock and bondholdings.
also declaring that II Rosewood piano
costing 5000 and perhaps ~ 900
should be- valued at 800. or that
high powered automobile purchased
new only last year is now only 81
much Junk.
lu the natural order Of things.
Justice. equality aud fairness do not
breed deception. corruption aud
falsehood; aud the very fact of our
present system making liars aud
criminals of our citi2cnry. seems to
me to stamp the word "Faimre' up
on the brow of this monstrosity call
ed Taxation.
The term Single Tax is, by the
minituled. hemmcd IN with mis-
giving~ and befogged by uncertain
ties. ~ something terrible, aud
doubtless associated with Anarchy.
Socialism. or other ism. So il
seems appropriate Ia first clear the
decks in order that may hope to
build lnlelligently later on.
What the Socialists SEEK Is state
assumption of capital. or, more prop
erly speaking. state management and
direction of At least the larger opera
tions of industry. Government owner
ship of railroads. telegraph, tclr-
phone, electric light and power, oil,
coal and other minerals, and the
substitution of regulation and dirrc-
lion for competition.
Anarchists. directly opposrd IL
Socialists. say they see the evils oi
too much government, regarding GOV
ernmenl in itself an evil. aud protrs,
Ia believe that, in the absence oi
"oercive power. the mutual Interests
of men would secure voluntarily
whatever cooperation is needed.
Single Tax is in no way relate,
IN either "t the foregoing implying
no revolution. aud no change of gov
crnment. II is simply II plan fo
raising revenue To meet public eN
pense. Now DAYS we hear
areat deal about getting "back t
Nature. and my purpose is to tax
YOU "back 10 Nature" in the gather
ing of taxes, thereby doing away wit
our lying custom houses aud iutern0
revenue posts. aud to remove fr0l
our people the temptation To swea
Ia false values. or entirely Withhold
property from assessment.
The sole reason of taxation is I
defray the cost of government. |
tribal days there was no organlzn
tion of government and no taNe'
Civilized man is more of n socli
animal and his greater ntclllgenc
has told him that several forming
community can contribute TO u con
mon police fund and school fund, an
install sewer systems and tire d'
partments cheaper and to bctt'
purpose than if each man attended
the schooling of his children. ~
were left 10 fight destructive flam
alone.
State government expense Is ns
ally collected from II small percen
age added 10 local county taxatio
while Federal expense is met large
from custom duties, internal reven
collections, and more recently l
Income Tax. which il is thong
may replace the revenue lost tr,
decreased tariff duties: hut taxes d
rived from all of these sources oil
temptations to bribery, corrupt
and fnlsehood, thereby making tn
antagonistic TO Natures usual orc
of equality and justice.