The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-11-22
IMPROVEMENTS
ARE NOT TAXED
Western Canada Does Not Tax
Stock or improvements but
Collects an Additional Tax
From Land Spectators.

Owners Of uncultivatef lands In
Western Canada are loud In their pro
tests against an extra tax on their
lands because they are not under cui-
tivauon. Western Canada. through Its
provincial governments. Is endeavor'
Ing TO force the speculative land owner
TO either sell his land TO settler or to
cultivate II himself. At present atsur-
tax OF few cents an acre Is levied
against all wild land. so that the own
or Of land held In Its natural state,
without improvements. Is contributing
more taxes to the government than the
owner Of farm that Is cultivated and
even improved with buildings and
stock to the value Of thousands of dol
lara. In order to encourage the farm
or to improve and to go into stock rails
ing, he Is not charged one cent Of taxes
on any Of his improvements, imple-
ments or stock OF any kind.
Al a result Of Eds surtax on un-
cultivated or speculatively held lands,
the owners are now trying to sell them
b actual settlers. and, in nearly every
instance, have been offering on very
easy terms of payment. usually quar-
Ter down, and the balance extending
over q term Of years at prices much
Iower than their productive value
would warrant.
A worldwide shortage In farm stats
has given a new value to all ngricul-
tural products and the margin Of profit
today is greater than ever in the past.
Il II true labor and implements have
Increased In price, but II is now pos
able to secure 509s profit in farming,
and higher. Possibly not on the 500
20 800 an acre farm lands but on land
that can now. under existing condi-
nons, be purchased at from s15 to $50
per acre. Western Canadian farm
lands are rs productive as any In the
world and can be as economically
hrmed. Wheat yields OF from 30 TO
20 bushels per acre have been common
tn Western Canada during the past
few years, and the farmers have been
too busy farming all they can so as to
oell as much wheat as possible at S2.00
. bushel. that they have not had time
30 do any talking or writing. II Is
doubtful II there ever was such an
opportunity to make big profits In
fKrming. The value OF each years
crop has been In hundreds OF cases
more than the market value OF the
hnd II was grown on. II is un-
rsasonnble to suppose such con-
Mtion will last long. as the land now
being forced onto the market by sur
tax on speculative owners will soon
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 renewed awakening
10 the realization that the maximum
profit In farming Is aot being obtained
when II Is possible TO secure from
forty to seventy per cent return on the
Investment In Western Canada. Many
who have been planning to visit West
ern Canada for the purpose OF person
ally investigating conditions are leav-
Ing this month. when the good weather
can be enjoyed. As threshing opera
uons and marketing OF grain is under
way, no better time could be selected
to secure FIRST hand and reliable infor-
nation from the farmers themselves.
The winter months afford ample time
for completing moving arrangements,
to allow the settler to take up resi-
dence in early spring. so as TO get
somethiag done next year and TO make
. start on the big and profitable farm
ing operations In Western Canada
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