Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-03-29
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
o MORE WILDCAT TAXATION. o
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To the Editor of the Palisadiap ::

To the Editor of the PaliSadian:
Dear SRI notice by the New York
daily papers that new plan of taxa
ton has been proposed in addition to
the other numerous methods already
in existence. 1t is to tax all those who
do business in New York city and who
may live in either Jersey or Connect
cut. This plan of taxation is similar
to the Octroi duties which have been
in existence in France. A tax on all
farm products is collected at the gate
farmer pay the city taxes, which he
apparently escapes. The result of this
is high cost of living.
Economically speaking, there is no
boundary between the city and its
suburbs. Commerce is like water, it
tends to level itself, and what is taken
from one part is compensated from all
other parts.
Most taxes are in the nature of fines,
and fines are imposed for some Grim
inal offenSe, and since it is impossible
to do business in the city of New York
without paying Office rent and con-
tributing to the trade and prosperity
to the city in general, then it is evil
dent that this new tax is a fine for the
crime of not being in competition with
others on the waiting list of landlords,
TO pay whatever rents may be demand
ed from them for the privilege of liv-
ing in the city of New York. This new
lx-t l.,r, Ill n,,.Je. To
discourage all those who might have
the idea of escaping from their arbi-
trary eXactions and thereby still fur
Their profiteer by the unearned mere
ment of the value of their land
To tax is to take; this power to take
from the citizens their prosperity by
order of delegated authority for the
exclusive benefit of 3 per cent of the
population, who legally own something
they never produced-that is, neither
the land nor its value.
This power is one of the most abus
ed in civilized society. The under
standing of this question from IA moral
standpoint is the key to the solution
of all our social troubles between cap
ital and labor
In the first place, there are just two
things in this world subject to taxa
tion--the value of land and the prod
ucts of labor. Rent and wages depend
upon where the tax is placed. If we
tax products the laborer has TO give
up what properly and morally belongs
TO him. his property-that is, his earn
ings This is robbery and reduces him
to poverty. If we tax the value of land
we take what no man produced, We
only take the value of superior advan-
tage of site, given to it by the whole
people, and this maintains equality
among us.
When man builds or improves a
home and is taxed for so doing it acts
as fine, a punishment for helping the
wheel of commerce and improvement
of the community. TT tends to make
homes scarce and rents high. If man
is taxed on his labor and income he is
fined for being ambitious, energetic
and producer When we tax land to
its full value it will discourage land
SIttulutolS iO1ulllS iuilb out VI uSC
Idle lands. idle hands. A tax on
houses and no tax on land makes
houses scarce and rents high, work
scarce and wages low. A tax on land
values and no tax ON houses and labor
makes land cheap, work plenty and
wages high.
This last tax cannot be shifted on to
the shoulder of labor If it could we
never would have a word about confis-
cation of property.
Here we have two paths. One leads
to freedom and prosperity for all, and
the other leads to prosperity for few
and slavery and adversely for the
many
WHICH SHALL IT BE?
MARK NJ. DINTENFASS.
Palisade, n. J., March ~, 1919