The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-11-07
The Single Tax and Farmers

nc Sl0glc DIX anu FARMERS
As Tom l.. Johnson had just finish
ed speaking at political meeting in
independence, O., an elderly gentle
man arose and said
Mr.. Chairman, ! have suspicion
from what | have read in the papers
that Mayor Johnson desires to place
ali taxes on land. win Mr. Johnson
please tell us about that?'
Some one then called out: Tell
us about the single tax
Replying to the elderly man, the
mayor answered: Most emphatical-
ly no!' He paused and then said:
But if you mean that have de-
sire to place all taxes on land values,
| answer most decidedly yes! If
you want to hear about the single
tax, will say with you a little while
|. lonGer and let my tent meeting in the
city wait while | say to you that If
it Wee not for this idea, called sin
gle tax, would not be here tonight.
This is the reason that ] am what
am, and that | am making the fight
which we are now in.
"A tax on land would be an I'M
just and ubiquitous system of taxa
tion but tax on land values would
be the most just and blessed system
| that the world has ever known. 1t
would be of mere service to humani-
ty than any legislation ever known.
Farmers are great owners of land
but not of land values. We have
land in our cities that sells at the
ratio of 100000 per acre-any Of
| you farmers got land as valuable as
tina ? In New York city thete is land
that sells for $l5.O0O,OOO per acre
got any land in this neighborhood at
tina price?
| ITO answer my friends question
| will tell of little talk had one day
with Congressman Pierson of Tusca-
rawas county, when we were in
Washington together.
"Pierson was a farmer and he said
TO me one day: TON, ! cannot &C
| your single tax as it would be hard
ship on the farmers. and they al
| ready have more than their share OF
the burden of taxation
81 said: Look here, Pierson; if
| thought the single tax would increase
the farmers burden ! would not
stand for it for one minute. In fact
# did not know it would be the
| greatest blessing TO the farmers and
o!kingmen in the city never would
advocate it again. can show you that
| the single tax viii ligh,en the farmers
burden as compared with The pres
| en-, method Let me ask you some
questons--to see if We cant get nj
| the facts in the matter
"How much, Mr. Person of the
| present tax burden do you think the
farmers bears
"'Well, he answered, the farmers
constitute over half the population
Of The United States and | should say
tina they pay at least go per cent OF
all taxes
Very welt let's call it so per
CEN to he safe
No, no said Mr.. Pierson, that
is 90 low they pay more than 60 pc
GER rather than less.
An right but to be safe let's call
it 50 per cent. Now Mr.. Pierson,
want you to tell me how much of the
value Of land tho farmers Of The
United States have Please take in
20 consideration all the valuable coal
lands. the iron, silver gold. copper
and ether valuable mines-the water
powe' privileges. the railroads and
|Ghc.r terminals. including street rail
roads. telephones and telegraphs, for
these are built on the most valuable
lands all the gas and electric light
great value; all the city lots some OF
which are worth more than coun-
ty OF IA ming land want you to
take all these into consideration and
then tell me how much of the land
value the farmers of the United
States have
MIR. Picrson said: We'll. should
say less than per cent | said:
Call It 10 per cent to be safe
"'Oh. no. no; that's entirely too
high: that's double.
"Well, we will call it 10 per cent
anyway. Now dent you see that il
all The taxes were raised by a single
tax on land values since the farmers
have only 10 per cen, OF those values
lycu say - thei' axes would be re
duced 10 only one ffih OF what ,hey
now arc?-tIat instead OF paying one
half the taxes as now they would un
der that plan pay but one ten,h?'
81 declare Tom . never locked q
it in that ligh; and ! guess you have
20, me
so ! say TO you farmers here TO
night, that ihis single tax. CT which
! am proud 10 be mn advocate. would
be to the ovcrburdened farmers and
workingmen the greatest boon, the
greatest blessing. the 'eatest god
send that any eounfrv oyer knew I