Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1917-11-02
IMPROVEMENTS
ARE NOT TAXED
Western Canada Does Not Tax
Stock or improvements but
Collects an Additional Tax
From Land Spectators.

Owners Of uncultlvnted lands In
Western Canada are loud In their pro
tests against m extra Tux on tneir
lands because they nre not under u
~tivntion. Western Canndn, through its
provincial governments, Ia endenvor-
ing 10 force the. speculative land owner
60 either sell his land 10 n settler or 10
cultivate II himself. At present n sur
tax OF n few cents nm acre n levied
against all wild land, 80 that the own
or ~ land held In its natural state
without improvements, II contributing
more taxes to the government thnn the
owner Of n farm that II cultivated ana
eve improved with buildings ana
stock TO the value OF thousands or dol
lars. In order to encourage the farm
err TO improve and to go into stock rails
ing, he II not charged n cent OF taxes
on any OF his improvements, imple-
ments or stock OF any kind.
Az n result Of this surtax on I'M
cultivated or speculatively held lands,
the owners are now trying to sell them
TO actual settlers, and, In nearly every
instance, have been offering on very
ensy terms Of payment, usually n quar-
ter down. and the balance extending
over n term Of years at prices much
lower than their productive value
would warrant.
A worldwide shortage In farm stuffs
has given n new value 10 all ngricul-
turnl products and the margin of profit
today Is grentcr than eve in the past.
II Ia true labor and implements have
Increased In price, but II Is now pos
Blble 10 secure 500 profit in farming.
and higher. Possibly not on the 800
10 5000 m acre farm lands hut on land
that can now, under existing condl-
lions, be purchased at from S15 TO $50
per acre. Western Canadian farm
lends are as productive as any In the
world and cnn he ms economically
farmed. Wheat yields OF from 30 to
90 bushels per acre have been common
In Western Canada during the past
few years, and the farmers have been
too busy farming nll they can so as TO
sell as much wheat as possible Mt $500
n bushol, thai they have not had time
TO do any talking or writing. II Is
doubtful II there eve vas such an
opportunity TO make big profits In
farming. The value of each years
crop has been in hundreds Of cases
more than the market value Of the
land II was grown on. II Is un-
reasonable 10 suppose such n con-
dition will last long, as the land now
being forced onto the market by sur
tax on speculative owners Will loon
become absorbed by those who have
learned OF these highly profitable
wheat lands. The news is spreading
gradually throughout the high priced
land districts In the United States,
where there Is q renewed awakening
TO the realization that the maximum
profit In farming Is not being obtained
when II Is possible TO secure from
forty 10 seventy per cent return OF the
investment I'm Western Canada. Many
who have been planning to visit West
ern Canada for the purpose Of person.
ally investigating conditions are lenv-
ing this month, when the good weather
can be enjoyed. Az threshlng opera
lions and marketing Of grain Is under
way, no better time could be selected
10 secure first hand and reliable lnfor-
nation from the farmers themselves.
The winter months afford ample time
for completing moving arrangements.
20 allow the settler TO take up resi-
dence In enrly spring, 70 ms to get
something done next year and 90 make
n stnrt on the big and profitable farm
ing operations In Western Cnnadn.-
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