Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic viewElliott, Calvin
Religion
Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic view
Elliott, Calvin
Usury
The bonded debt of a city or state, in the ultimate result, is
collected from the productive labor. To pay the interest and
principal of the bonded debt of a city the tax levy is increased, and
a greater proportionate amount of labor is appropriated. Laboring
people without property are often amazed at the indifference of
property holders when a great bonded debt is incurred, as both
interest and principal are to be paid by a tax upon property. Those
who make the loan to the city, and all who hold mortgages and dividend
paying properties, are complacent because the taxes of a hundred years
would never diminish their property a dollar, though the tax levy
should be doubled. It would raise the interest on money, diminish the
price of labor and raise the price of goods, but those who profit by
the gain of usury are untouched by it.
Recently complaints were made by the tenants of one of the poor
districts of London because their rentals had been greatly increased.
The reply of the landlord was direct and clear: "You have voted for
public improvements and now you must pay for them."
The same is true of the interest and principal of the national debt.
The revenue is raised from a levy upon importations, as, for example,
tea, the tax on which is ten cents per pound. The tax is collected
from the importer and by him attached to the price for which it is
sold to the wholesale dealer and by him attached to the price he
charges the retail dealer and by him the amount is collected from the
consumer. Sufficient notice is usually given that the importer and
the dealers may dispose of all their goods before the tariff is
removed. A public announcement of such a purpose was recently made in
reference to the tax upon tea.
The tax collected from the consumer is far heavier than the mere levy
of the government. The importer demands a profit on the amount of
revenue tax he has paid as well as on the amount he pays for the
goods. This results in greatly increasing the burdens of the poor. The
revenue tax recently imposed by Great Britain of three pence per cwt.
on wheat and five pence per cwt. on flour resulted immediately in the
addition of one penny to the price of the four-pound loaf to the
consumers.
Again: This attributing to property the quality of self-perpetuation
and increase has led to its incorporation and in a manner separation
from those who own it. Property must always have an owner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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