.
[Reprinted from an
undated pamphlet, Simple Talks on Taxation, published by the
author]
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...
... No sir! That looks like gov'ment
ownership to me. I want to feel sure that little piece of land I
own, belong to me! And no-one can take it away from me.
... And if
the government was to take the full rental value every year, you'd
feel that it didn't belong to you any more?
... How could it? It'd be government
property. I'd only be a renter.
... But
you're not a renter now, Eh?
... No sir. I own it.
... So you
don't have to pay anybody anything?
... That's right.
... You're
not telling me you don't pay taxes?
... Taxes! I pay plenty taxes!
What're you talking about?
... Oh. Then
you mean that you pay taxes, but you don't have to?
... Sa-ay! Would I pay taxes if I
didn't have to?
... Why? What
would happen if you didn't?
... Boy! The ol' Sheriff d be down
here and I'd be "sold for taxes"!
... I thought
you said the little piece of land belonged to you and that no-one
could take it away?
... We-l-11. I'm all right as long
as I pay my taxes, then.
... What
you mean is, if you pay your taxes
on the little piece of land and your house, furniture, car and
income, don't you?
... We-1-11. I s'pose so.
... But you
don't think that is Socialistic?
... I don't think it's as
Socialistic as it would be to make me a land renter.
... You don't
think you're any smarter than die Rockefeller Estate, do you?
... What kind of a crazy question is
that?
... It's not
crazy. The Rockefellers are renters.
... What-d-you mean?
... Well, you
know they built Rockefeller Center?
... Sure.
... Did you
know they don't own the land there. Just rent it?
... The hell they do! Is that -- are
you sure?
... Look it
up. The land belongs to Columbia University.
... I'll be darned! Put all those
buildings on land they just rent!
... It works
out to be a damn good deal for them. I'll explain it to you some
time. But to get back to your little piece of land. Rather than
just pay land rental, you like having the Assessor guess how much
your house is worth, and you like lying about the value of your
furniture, and you like having your car tax quadrupled because you
bought a new car, and you like making out your income tax return,
and you like forking over a percentage on everything you buy, and
you like to have your family shaken down for a big governent cut
out of what you would otherwise be able to leave to them?
... You're crazy. I don't like a
damn one of them!
... And you
don't think they're Socialistic. Is that it?
... Sure thing! The Socialists
didn't start them. No Socialism for me!
... Let's
suppose you were to quit paying them all, and just paid an annual
land rent instead of taxes, that'd be Socialism, Eh?
... It'd be gov'ment ownership,
wouldn't it?
... No more
than now. Haven't you just said that the ol" Sheriff'd take
over if you didn't pay your taxes? What could be more gover'ment
ownership than that?
... Well, I s'pose so. But I
wouldn't want the gov'ment managing my property.
... There's a
big difference between collecting rent and managing property, but
you don't mind their managing your income and your purchases and
your estate. Suppose they didn't stick their shovel into your
affairs -- just collected the land rent - -
... Well, that looks like Socialism
to me. And I'm no Socialist! Oh! Say Bob! I hear they caught the
feller that robbed the First National of Eight hundred and eighty
dollars!
... Funny
thing. That's within Three dollars of what the government took
from me! They haven't arrested the government yet, though.
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