FEBRUARY 11, 1904.
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
9
LAND VALUES
The New York Tax Reform associa
tion, with headquarters at 52 "William
Btreet, has' finally won in . its cam
paign to have the tax assessment
show land values separate from im
provement values. The last assess
ment in New York hows $3,697,686,
935 .in land values, upon which are
$1,100,657,854 of improvements or
about 77 per cent land value to 23 per
cent improvements.
The bare figures are hard to grasp.
So Louis F. Post translates them into"
100-acre, " $5,000 farms. It would re-
quire 738,537 of these farms to equal
the bare land value of Greater New
, York. Grouped into "sections" o 640
acres each a mile square these
farms would extend a mile wide and
313,621 miles long. In other words,
Mr. Post calls attention to the
astounding fact that the 209,218 acres
j, o". Greater New York, worth on an
.average $17,673 per "acre, wo Mid equal
in value a strip of farms, worth $50
per acre, extending more than four
times around (he globe.
Applying these figures to Nebraska,
the 70,233,600 acres in this slate, cal
culated at $50 per acre, lack $186,000,
000 of equal 1 in s the bare land values
-ili Greater New York. Or, turned an-
, other way, the value of greater New
Tiork's 210 thousand acres, exclusive
of buildings, would buy every acre
-of land in Nebraska at $50 per acre,
and have enough left to buy 3,70,139
A .acres of $50 land over ru Colorado.
New York, of course, Is the greatest
city in America, but when we con
sider Chicago, Philadelphia, Losion,
' and the thousands of smaller cities;
and when we further cdu&ider that an
acre of land in even a very small city
is much more valuable than -an acre
of the choicest farm land, we begin
' io see why the single taxeis are to
insistent in tieir assertions that by
abolishing every form rf taxation and
'taking, in lieu thereof the "economic
rent' that is, rent of the land alone
' the farmer would be the greate&t
' beneficiary under such a system. ' An
average acre in Greater New York
would bring to the public treasury as
much as 3,500 acres of $50 Nebiaska
farm lands that is, unimproved land
which sells at that price, or improved
farms with the value of improvements
deducted.
The fact that such a 'arge per cent
of farmers are opposed to the single
tax, however, is no stranger than the
fact that so many of them are earn
estly in favor of a "protective tariff."
D. v
A MEDIUM OF KXCIIANGE
Had Mr. Buckley read Captain
Ashby's "Money and the Taxing
Power," he might have modified his
statement somewhat regarding his
non-interest bearing bond proposition,
iiich, by the way, looks very much
to The Independent like what Jccb
S. Coxey, of "Coxe'y Army" fame, pro
posed once upon a time.
Making . Mr. Buckley s proposed
county and municipal bonds "receiv
able for taxes by the county or mu
nicipality where issued'' would clothe
them with the power which makes all
coined money desirable. It would
make them local "money," as that
word is popularly used.
Mr. Buckley, seeing that "we al
ways have the material, the labor and
the skill," believes that the "only
thing to be supplied ... is the medium
of exchange." As a matter of fact,
he ought to see that the logical re
sult of issuing the bonds in payment
for materials and labor used in mak
ing public improvtments, and the sub
sequent acceptance and cancellation
of the bonds in payment of taxes is
no different in final effect upon the
community as a whole, than if the
materials and labor had been paid for
first hand, not in "bonds," but in tne
tax receipts which final'.y come to be
all that the different individuals in
the community have to show for what
share they contributed toward mak
ing the improvements.
Why "bonds" at all? Why not is
sue "tax receipts" in denominations
rf one dollar and multiples, reciting
that the bearer has paid taxei In ad
vance of thfjr levy to tho amount
namd In the receipt? And whenever
the levy would b made each Individ'
ual taxpayer could take a sufficient
number of the "Indefinite" as to time
tax receipts and have them con
vcrtl Into a npniifli: receipt for that
year tax.
Ihwa'th community really rued
Nthe!o thlni? hi "a medium of ex
chatiK?" Un'l the real ned, and the
is" whhh make them circulate, the
Jut that each individual kuog to a
certainty that h and Mi neighbor
will all I called upon to deliver m mo
of them to th iax collector In due
course of time? Whether we call thun
"iion-lnterent bearing bond," "In
definite tax receipt a1 "preentai k."
"iilver dollar,' or "gold mute,"
fcowtsur, doc tot ihaajjc their real
character: that they represent, or
should represent, a quantity of value
delivered .to the government in ad-,
vance of a tax levy.
. "Whoever delivers government either
services or -commodities, and receives
in so-called "payment" one of these
things properly called a "coin" re
gardless of the material substance it
is impressed upon has in fact re
ceived nothing but a tax receipt
certain as to quantity of value, but in
definite as to payer, date of levy, etc.
He is for the time being the taxpayer.
Whoever now will give him service
or commodity in exchange for the "re
ceipt" next assumes the burden. It
finally rests upon him who is obliged
to exchange it at the tax collector s
counter for a definite and certain tax
receipt showing the individual's
name, date of levy, etc. This is the
"incidence" of taxation, divorced from
the questions of rent, imposts, etc. Of
course, in the case of tariff taxes,' the
consumer is the final tax bearer, al
though he does not appear at the
"captain's office" at all.
There is no objection to the prin
ciple's underlying Mr. ' Buckley plan.
But an understanding of it, is an un
derstanding of the money question
itself. The only objection is that our
country ig to small for a local "mon
ey." Rapid transit, the telegraph and
telephone are constantly counteract
ing our efforts at "expansion." Con
gress alone has power to"coin money
rua regulate the value thereof" and
congress ought to be about it.
'GLIMPSES OF THIS REAL,"
Such is the title of J. A. Edgerton's
latest book, a neat volume of 222
rcroa nuhliehol liv if TfAPr? Pllh-
lishing Co., Denver. Cloth, $1. Read
ers of The Independent will remember
Mr. Edgerton's former books, ."Voices
of the Morning" and "Songs of the
People," both in verse. "Glimpses of
the Real" is prose but not prosy. Its
contents originally appeared as Sun
day editorials or sermonettes in the
Rocky Mountain News.
"Glimpses of the Real" is along the
line of "new thought," being an ad
mixture of Christian science almost;
Christian socialism almost; and Is in
dividualistic and idealistic through
and through. The Independent ad
mires Mr. Edgerton's diction and the
high ideals which inspire him. In
many things hie prose reminds one of
Emerson, although there is no copy
ing, no imitation.
It is just such a book as will do good
for prosy, matter-of-fact, almost-ma-terialists.
like one of The Indepen
dent's staff, who doesn't take much
stock in the "new thought" as a stea
dy mental diet, but is forced to admit
that it is an aid to mental digestion.
It acts as a corrective for the gross
materialism which is certainly mak
ing far too much headway in these
days of - mammon-worship. D.
Louis F. Post, editor of The Public,
Chicago, commenting upon Mr. Bry
an's prediction, made shortly after his
arrival from Europe, that the demo
cratic candidate for president this
year will probably be a "dark horse,"
looks over the field and sees loom
ing up, "not as a candidate, but as a
possibility, Governor L. F. C. Garvin,
of Rhode Island." Governor Garvin,
Mr. Post declares, "answers to every
requirement of tne 'reorganizers' ex
cept that he 's not a plutocrat; he
answers to ev?ry reqnuement cf the
'regulars'." Well, possibly he does;
but he is a idngle taxer, and most of
the "regulars" want tariff for rev
enue only, while a gooi many of the
"reorganizers" like a "protective" tar
iff.
V
A POP IN TAMMANY HALL
Tha Talk that II lUard and taa Thlagi
Taat Ha iaw-Traatad with tha UraaL
at ConrUijr aad Kladaau
New York, Feb. 1, 1904. (Editorial
Coi respondent'?. ) One of my sur
prises since I have been In tbla land
of the plutocrat, has been the uni
versal courtesy and kindness with
which! have been treated. Whether
in association with men of national
reputation or the common people,
who toll for their dally bread, every
KlndneM has been nhown'tne. In the
abominable elevated and lurface cars
where a condition exlsti whhh no
man living In the open country can
conceive, gentlemen have frequently
found a Mat for me by waicnlnjc om
penon about to leave tho car and
jointing It out to me, The other day
hcn I wag standing lth my back
to an Iron pt making a ludy of ih4
wining mase at the Uiocklyri brl U.
t. Kcntl?riaii asked me what car I
wanted, 1 told hint, and when that
car made It appearance he ut hi
arm around ue shored me ttrouutt
' . Jl -
King Com
The most royal crop ever grown is
corn.. Tor years we have given the
greatest care and attention to im
proving and perfecting our strains
and varieties.
Griswold's Northern
' Corn Belt Seed Corn
has a vlgoT and vitality not found when srown a little further south. It matures
earlier and is out of the way of early frosts. All our need is most carefully selected
from perfect ears, is tepted, ant contains no butt or tip kernels. Our leaders: Km
brat ha Whit i'rite, Nebraika Yellow I'rlir, Imp. Lmlnjc, Kllver Mlna,
Gold Mlaa, Nnow Wblta Uent, (a wonderful new crop) and other varieties suited
to every Bection. - s . .
Griswold Seed Co.
149 So. 10th St., Lincoln, Neb.
SEED CORN, FIRE-DRIED, PURE-BRED.
Cut out this advertisement and return to us and wfl
will Bend you free a copy of tho most complete,
illustrated, descriptive seed corn catalogue ever
printed. It fully describes all the leading and best
varieties of corn, which will double your yields.
Ears 12 to is Incites in length, weigh 1 1-2 to stpoundf
each. Don't lay this naoerdown until vou have Rent
for one of these catalogue, itwill mean dollars to you,
J. b. ARMSTRONG & SONS, Shenandoah, Iowa.
MILLET, CANE, KAFFIU POPCORN, SEED CORM, ALFALFA, TIMOTHY; CLOVES
And All
Kinds
of
FIELD AND GRASS
I IOI to 1117 West 8th. Near Santa Fo St.. KANSAS CITY. MO.
the crowd and into the car where he
found a seat for me. '
At Tammany Hall I was Created, In
the same courteous way. I happened
to meet several men high up in , the
councils of Tammany, or it, may be
that a certain newspaper man ar
ranged for that "happening," who,
the day before, offered to escort me
up to Tammany headquarters and
show me the sights. I found Tam
many Hall decorated with ferns, vines
and thousands of roses, from the en
trance hall up the stairways, to the
general assembly room. The air was
heavy with perfume. They were going
to celebrate Lincoln's birthday, . One
of the eight or ten gentlemen whom
I met proposed that we adjourn : to a
saloon, but the others objected . and
said: "Take Hm to the theafre." So
the whole crowd went into Tony fas
tor's continuous performance which
runs next door to Tammany Hall.
The performance was not just such as
would be chosen to entertain f Sunday
school. Along the wall back of the
audience was a row of policemen. 1
did not ee any tickets purchased,
though there was a sign up: "Only
50-cent seats left." The policemen
showed great obsequiousness to that
crowd of Tammany leaders. One of
them came forward and piloted us
down to a seat near the front. He
ousted two mn who .were seated in
the row and put us in and we just
filled it. After a little while I pro-,
posed that we retire and we went to
one of the private rooms in Tammany
Hall.
I told them, to avoid any, embar
rassment, that it would, perhaps, be
well for me to say that I am a gen
uine populist, pure bred, long-haired,
wild-eyed, and such a man as the
daily papers that very morning had
described as a lunatic, a socialist, an
anarchist and dangerous to be at
large. I added that as there were a
large number of huge policemen near
at hand, they would probably not et
too nervous.
"Say," one of them replied, "you
must not take too seriously what the
papers! have bcn saying alioiit jop
uli.sts the last fw dayu. That's all a
bluff. It is because Ilryan lias been
here."
Another one raid: 'I HVo Bryan.
I heard him make a speech and I be
lieve he U a pretty good f-liew."
"Why don't you stand by him then?"
I asked.
"Oh! thfl bo would never allow
that," with a smile and a wink cf
M eye.
Another cn upoke up: "Nobody
here would t:nd for Ilryan and his
15 to 1. 1 think that proposition U as
silly a thins: at vrr kiu. tfd,
and I don't wonder thtt the pajr
call him ft lunatic. Jht think of a
Iaw h!rh required the ftovcrnineat
every tlm It c lne! a five dollar poid
niece also to coin ilver dollar.
Why, very oon it would require all
th drays In New York t irt them
around from on bank to another. If
Ilryan would only ilrtqi that U d!h
nr4, tt might Und Knt ori of a
how down here." t After thh man
Aid '"every time tho co veronica
r3 It pays to bow Dwarf
mir Essex Rap which hi
fjm. vr w tW MIVIV
I liable for&tte Dlantln e
Istonee for Sheep, Hor or
Cat Of. Coats only about 81
cents aer acre for Boed t yields 20 tons per acre, oar
fined was grown In Kttaex, England, and Is extra choice.
DuHcripMve circular and sample freetf Yon mention thla
iafer. Ask for copy of cur large illustrated catalog ot
Oarden and Farm 8ed. Free for the a.ktnir.
IOWA SEED COMPAHY, DES KOIKES. ZOTTA
loin
Is
SEED COtll
- GET
Tiogue's Yellow Dent
If yon want the Corn that has proved to
be the bent at all the Corn Shows, and by
actual test of '20 standard varieties, con
ducted by the Nebraska Experiment Sta
tion for the past two years. $1.00 per
hii. for two bu. or more. Baeks 15c each,
For Circular or Corn, address , , :
R. HOGUE, Crete, Neb.
coins a five dollar gold piece," he took
an envelope out of his pocket and
carefully multiplied 5 by 16 before he .
finished - his sentence. Erery one .
whom I have met here who has spok
en on the subject thinks that "16 to 1"
means that svery lime a gold dollar is
coined, sixteen silver dollars must
also be coined.)
Tammany was first organised as a
benevolent and fraternal society. Over
the entrance in large flgurts Is the
date, 1789. It is situated on the cor
ner of 14th and the Bowery. Its
strength still lies in its helpfulness
to its members.. The city Is divided
into districts, over which "a leader"
rules. That leader knows personally
every member In his district and looks
after his welfare. If one of them Is
out of a job, he is assi&ted to get an- '
other. The common ' membership
knows nothing about government.
They vote Jus, as their Icaicr tells
them. It will be seen that they belong
to the geniH mullet head, of which
there are so many specimens In Nc
brafcka.- T.
A Pennsylvania View ;
The bitterest poUUtal fight we ever"
knew Is now being waged by the
phiUH ratio democratic papers against
Win. J. Ilryan. Thy nay Ilryan U a
pofitjlUt. That la true a to principles
of the Kansas City platform, and tlx
and a half million of Intelligent Anv
erlian ctiUna votPd for thoo pi In
clpba, Thl vear they will line up
under -the straight popullat flag, and
th democratic plutocrat will go Into
tho republican party or v t up another
fraudulent rainier and Iluckncr fbwco.
Am It don't make a tl of difference
hkh thy do they ar lUkfd In ad
van Uhfr or lth way. Mr. Ilry
an I one of tho ablest political trxak
ii and writers In the tout. try, and
um,ti-tlonahIy honest and frank, but
h la absolutely the mnt IncMupHfnt
lIHIcaI urufrttl that cur politic hat
ever known. Thco. Ityndcr, la
Kils (Ta.) Ilcho,