Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1828

Carbon pages 2 and 3 of a 3-page item entitled “Some Questions and Answers.” The last page has a number at the bottom which appears to be a pagination “30,” suggesting this was part of a longer manuscript.

 

 

 

Page 2.            Some Questions and Answers

 

10. Are not taxes debts?

Ans: No. Because taxes are an obligation of force and not an obligation of contract.

11. Who determines the amount of a tax?

Ans. In different States and different cities they are called by different names but they are all political officers, backed by force, hired as public servants but practicing public coercion. The amount of tax therefore is determined by these public officers.

12. Do they collect in proportion to the benefits given or according to ability to pay?

Ans. Neither. They collect in proportion to the ability to evade or resist. Or in proportion to influence over political officers.

13. Do taxes pay for public services? By public

services I mean police, schools, water works, etc.

Ans. No. Taxation is enforced first and getting public services is an after consideration.

    14. How would the united community owners change this?

Ans. By giving public services first.

15. What kind of public services first?

Ans. First of all, protection against unnecessary taxation.

16. Would such protection service bring the community owners /more rent/?

    Would this benefit the 20,000 or the 100,000?

Ans. Yes. Rent revenues and values would automatically increase in greater proportion than the taxes abolished.

It would benefit the 100,000.

17 How would it benefit?

Ans. The 100,000 would have larger incomes for two reasons: One, they would not be paying out on taxes. Second, they would do more business and produce more wealth.

18. Would the increased rents absorb these benefits?

Ans. No. Only a part of them and this for value received.

19. The function then of collecting taxes is diminished and the function of collecting rents increased?

Ans. Yes.

20. What’s the difference then in paying taxes or paying rent?

Ans. Many differences but principally this: Rent is paid for value received and taxes are paid through the nose — without regard for value received.

21. What is your summary?

Ans.  Many people will object that the    landowners will gang up against the occupants of the community and oppress them. The answer is the only way they could do this would be by collecting taxes and that would destroy their increasing income in values. The elimination of coercion would leave the public business on value for value basis. All businesses and production could expand.

22. Do you then think eventually taxes can be abolished?

Ans. Yes, For the sake of freedom to be gained and enormous fortunes to be made, from the prosperity of all.

 

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