The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-03-02
Article x

To the Editor of the Midland
Journal
AS Marylanders, we all take the
keenest possible Interest," wish I
might say in all respects delight-in
Baltimore. We may believe that,
untrammelled, Baltimore should be
certainly the second shipping point
on the Eastern coast of the United
States with it's excellent harbor and
protected approaches, with a rich
country back of her and with the
ability to tap productive regions of
the West and Northwest. Opportun-
ity to know her citizens brings re-
spect and regard for their genial
qualities and high character.
Baltimore is a proud city, proud
of her past exploits, of her educa-
tional facilities, of much that is
creditable in the history of Mary
land, but she is also with less
reason
"Proud of her wealth and proud of
her pride
And proud of thousand things be-
side"
Baltimore is not doing her part to-
day in the work of the State and in
her own development She does
not possess a mobile discomfort. :"
She says she is conservative; this is
a mistake. She is not conservative;
she is simply asleep
Otheh cities try to maintain a sort
of bowling acquaintance with the
science of taxation. Baltimore has
not walked up to the fact that there
is such science, powerfully affect
ing commercial and industrial well
fare. New York raises two-thirds of
her public revenues from land values
and about one-third from industry
and the products and results of in
dustry. Philadelphia discourages
taxation on personal property
though still adhering to taxation on
buildings. Pittsburg, still more ad-
vanced, is approaching a point where
fifty per cent of the taxation on
buildings will be struck off. If we
go the antipodes, we shall find that
the City of Sydney in New, South
Wales, having population of 600,-
900, approximately the size of Balti-
more, does not tax thrift in any
shape, but raises all city revenues by
taxation Of land values. Not so far
away, we discover that Vancouver
Victoria and practically all the cities
of British Columbia do not tax i'm
provements and personal property,
but like Sydney raise their income
from taxation upon the value of
monopoliZed land. Returning to
Baltimore by way of contrast, we
per cent of her taxes are levied
directly upon buildings and personal
property including money, and only
thirty-one per cent on the value of
land. The power to tax is said to
be the power to destroy, and Balti-
human effort.
Meanwhile, some petty privilege
taxes are being urged by the Mayor,
and a number of business men of
Baltimore are up in arms about it..
C'est rire. Certainly it is to laugh
when the business men of Baltimore
quietly and patiently submit to pay
ing millions of dollars of taxes on
the fruits of their industry, and rise
in their wrath when called upon to
pay few additional dollars for less
harmful taxes. The men who have
built up Baltimore, despite the
hampering burdens laid upon them,
are straining at the gnat of privilege
taxes and swallowing the camel of
taxation on industry with all it's
hoofs, hide and fetid breath. Few
men of Baltimore outside of trade
unions have shown any indication of
real knowledge of this subject.
There is no freer constitution on
the subject of taxation in the whole
United States than that of Maryland.
The State government, the County
governments, the government of the
City of Baltimore, have all a right
to levy taxes upon whatever they
may find to be justly subject to tax
alton, and not to levy them when
such levy is against the best inter-
ests of the people. The business
interests of Baltimore. great and
small, and her home-owners, do not
Loo -. a. l. -