The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-05-22
SOCIALISM AND FARM ING
Fourth Article.)


to put an end to all ownership of land
devoted to farming and provide for
farming either by leasing the land to
individual workers, rental being paid
to the state, or to operate farms as a
state enterprise, wages to be paid to
the workers in subsistence or a share
lin the products or both. All farm prod
ucts are to belong to the state which
decides just what the workers are to
receive.
As set forth in the last article the
Iproposition to the farmer is not very
alluring one, consequently, converts to
socialism have been few. They do not
seem at all anxious to hand over their
farms and exchange the position of
owner and proprietor, for that of day
llaborer at most uncertain wages.
Therefore, the tactics of winning farm
support for socialism have been en-
tirely changed The scheme now, is to
drop the direct propositions; keep it out
of sight as much as possible and by
gradually introducing socialistc prof.
ects, which may temporarily benefit the
farmer get him committed to the oper-
alton and approval of socialistic doc
trines and practices in other lines, SO
that he cannot logically object to the
application of the same principles to
| himself.
The socalistic advocates of the sin
gle-tax theory, which declares for the
abolition of all taxation of values eX-
cept upon land, allege that state own
ership of land can easily be brought
about through the single-tax system,
| by making the taxation of land values
so heavy that no one will want to own
land
1t will be cheaper to let it go to the
state for taxes and then rent it, As
soon as the tax on land is greater than
| the rental value, the thing is accom-
plished. Thus far the socialists and sin
gle-taxers work hand in hand.
Socialists and near-socialists have
been getting in some work of this sort
in the Wisconsin legislature for several
sessions past. A start was made by eX-
empting from taxation, farm imple-
ments and machinery. Bills have been
introduced to exempt from taxation all
buildings and improvements. Such eX-
emptions do not help the farmer in
any degree. 1t does not require great
brain exertion to perceive that the ever
increasing burden is simply shifted on
to the land, and the land holder made
to carry the whole load. ! have yet to
meet farmer the gross amount of
whose tax receipt has been made any
smaller by the passage of these eX-
emption laws.
One of these socialist ideas just now
occupying the front page, is the prof.
ect for a state marketing commission.
| Whether this will or can be of any ben
eft to the farmer for whose products
the scheme is being Matched, is decid-
eddy doubtful. TO the writer it looks
as if the only persons to be directly
benefited are the members of the pro-
posed commission, who are to receive
five dollars per day and expenses for
all time spent. Then there is to be az
assistant attorney general who is to act
as a sort of legal guardian angel for
the farmers, and sue anybody any
where in the United States at the cost
of and in the name of, the State of
Wisconsin. Whether the creation of a
state collection agency of this sort, for
the benefit of single class of citizens
is in violation of the constitution or
not, does not seem to have been con
sidered.
But there may be a future to this
thing Suppose after an interval, a
law is passed making it compulsory for
every farmer to turn over his produce
to the marketing commission to dis
pose Of, 1t is already proposed that
the state shall inspect and put a brand
upon it. There we see the socialist
element of state control of production.
| Another scheme is to have the state
manufacture agricultural machinery,
which is to be sold to farmers at cost.
1t is very questionable if the state can
20 into "A business project of that kind
but suppose it could. TO take money
raised by taxation, buy factory site,
machinery, material, pay wages to
workmen, is as clearly socialistic as to
take the land of the farmer from him.
When in the course Of few years
the workmen of this factory, object to
the high cost of farm products, in liv-
ing and demand that the state TAX e
over the farm lands, work them as
state farms and sell produce at cost,
what position will the farmer be in to
object? X.