Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-08-31

gsquite agree with Mr.. bosch that ia
!bor creates all I wealth. but do not
agree with his next statement that
nothing but labor can be taxed. The
reason il plain. The value OF land is
not wealth. It Is q value that arises
with the presence and development Of
people and the development OF civ
silixation. This value ..ist created and
sustained by the people not by any
thing that the owner OF the title to the
land may have done OF not done. Land
naturally rich and productive has no
value until people need it to use, and
land absolutely barren. like the rocks
on which part OF New York city is
mnt Will have great value when the
people need It to use, zS. i IL.
This land value which the. people
create and sustain morally belongs to
the whole people and not to the for
tunate few who may happen to own
the title. 6 8, ,. sss 81.
I The Keller bill proposes to take a
small part of this publicly created
value to help meet the expenses of the
federal governmnt. Nothing could be
simpler than this. : @% l.
The more of this publicly created
value which Is taken Tor public use
the less viii sbe left with the owner
of the title to- make him into a mil
1ionaire. He cannot increase the sell
ing price of his land Tor am sure
even Mr.. Bosch will admit that tn.
| more it cost the land grabber to holt
his land idle, the sooner he will re
just as true Of valuable city lots, min
| "e~{<
of comparatively valueless form o
land.
| i don't know what Mr.. Bosch i
driving at when he says that ''lan'
values are not the only unearned in
crement. have always supposed
land values were the only unearne'
increment that amounted to enough t.
be worth considering. Let him poin
out some other unearned incremen
and then we Can: DISCUSS it.
Mr.. Bosch is wrong again that tai
! es on land values are shifted to tn
consumer in higher prices. There is
Mt a writer on political economy il
| the last 100 years that agrees witt
The iron ore taxes provided for il
the so-caAed tonnage tax" bill of las
! winter and the royalty tax bill coul
! not be shifted to the consumer, bu
would simply reduce the net profit
! OF the iron land owners.
! l have always favored public own
ersl1ip of natural monopolies; but tn
best way to get it is to first tax mos
of the selling price out Of thos
monopolies.
Will Mr.. Bosch please explain jus
how the steel. trust, the coal trust, tn
oil trust or the big timber land own
| ers would be able ito break up thei
land into small holdings" so as t
avoid the tax or the rich lot owner
for that matter? !,
! I do not favor the abolition Of tn
excess profits taxes. That is not 81
vital feature of the Keller proposal
Would timber be cut any faster i
heavy tax were Imposed on stump
age value when the trees are cut
Hardly. 81. /
shall be glad to join Mr.. Bosch il
that joint debate any time, anywhere
! not in defense Of every detail of thu
| Keller bills, but in defense of the gen
eral plan of taxing large land values
and relieving our homes, farms ant
| industry from the present crushing
burden of taxation
The farmer depends on the cities
for a large part Of his market. Thu
heavy taxation of land values will i'm
prove the condition of his city pur
chases. They will consume more O.
his produce. $780,.
Did Mr.. Bosch ever sell any farm
produce to a vacant city lot or to an
unused mine or to an undeVelOpeC
water power. site? C.. J. BUELL..