White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1870-01-06
TaXel.

Taxes.
This is q subject that has been written
sll over. and is destined to be rewritten
over. from year to year. IS long as tsxes
exist. We have never known q time
when people did not compisin of high
taxes, no matter how low they were.
Bat now they havstsmple,c.use for com
plant. They are oppressive. and If kept
mp for any lerg;h Of time hereafter. viii
Be ruinous. In this County. they are
per- cent. end upwards. In Leaven
worth. we have seen it stated. they are s
per cent. So throughout. the State. they
are in proportion. When a man who
possesses an ordinary small dwelling house.
is compelled to pay s25 to $50 tax on
it. and farmer with 40 ordinary farm.
partly improved, has to fork over to the
amount OF s75 to 5000. it msy be called
pretty steep. That it is steep, is seen
from the fact that farmers who, under
other circumstances. would calculate to
realize from their hogs and surplus crops
handsome little sum to lay over for
emergencies, now seems to have reached
the measure Of their ambition. and is ex-
eeedingly delighted. if they can raise
enough by this means to pay their taxes.
This is not generally the case in other
States. We have looked over the rates
Of some Counties in OHIO. in which they
have been building costly iron bridges
on the streams on all the public roads.
and the tax there is only about 1 per
cent. except in towns where they have
been making costly Improvements. it be-
ing considerably higher there. We have
no roads in this State upon which much
money has been spent. and precious few
bridges that are sale to cross. But VIC
have institutions located here and there
in the State. upon which thousands have
been squsndersd, without any adequate
show for it; and we have multitude oil
Offices, the occupants of which think it
is their duty to save up fortune for
themselves and all their relstives during
ssingle term.
The Legislature meets next Tuesday.
We presume. with the complaints of their
constituents still ringing in their ears.
many of the members will at once plunge
into schemes for squandering money.
Various institutions viii m IKE their mod.
est little dem snds, and their friends will
combine to force them ell through. The
Capitol building has now been complet-
ed, and heavy pressure will be made to
appropriate an enormous amount for the
purpose of fitting it up with grand furni-
ture. The furniture now there is rather
rough and homely. but is ample for pres
,ent purposes. The move for grand fur
nishings has already been foreshadowed
There will be no end to schemes. grea,
and small. involving appropriations Of
money. and. judging from the past. a
large proportion of them will go through.
Less than 100000 ought to pay all
the expenses of the State for the next
year. including Legislature, State offices.
printing. interest on debt. and all other
expenses. This amount conld be raised
by tax Of not over one-fourth OF one
per cent, whereas we now have to pay
more than one per cent. This would be
a reduction of almost ons-fourth of our
present taxes: while the local authorities
of the Counties, Townships and cities
could. by judicious management. make a
reduction of another fourth. Taxes re
duced to about one-bslf the present rate.
and the people would patiently submit to
the smount until oil public obligations
were met. But they will not always
quietly stand and be robbed under the
plea Of public necessity. when the neces-
sity is not apparent to them.