Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-05-03

THE FARMER's OCCUPATION. The
last assessment has caused much dissatisfaction
among the farhers in Ghis county, because the As
ss'sors have assessed them the same as other clti
lcusj hence great complaint is made against the
County Commissioners aud Assessors. Some Of
the exceedingly wise 60 50 far as to say that there
is no law requiring farmers to be assessed with an
Occupiton. We are no lawyer, but We will give
an sztruet from the law, and ask every man to
read it aud give it a common. sense Interpretation.
The 5th section Of an Act of Assembly, approved
the 18th day Of April, A. d. 1884, relating to the
assessment Of county taxes, among other things
requires the Assessors to rate and assess AN Of
"hces aud posts Of profit, professions, trades and
Occupations, and oil single freemen above the
"ago Of p years who do not follow any oceupa-
" ton or calling" Now, under this law, every
man in the State over 2 years Of age has been as
iessel with an occupation tax, except In this
county farmers have been exempted since ISL
For period Of 20 years the farmers Of Clearfcld
county have paid neither county, road nor poor
tax on their occupation, while every shoemaker,
carpenter, blacksmith, laboFor, AMI everybody
else, has paid that tax. Now, we ASK, why was
this odious distinction made between citizcnsi
There is no law for It, yet we find that such has
been the practice in this county for 20 years. A
specific tax imposed upon one mar while another
is allowed to escape
We will try aud account FOR the bunlor, for
such it certainly is and farmers, instead Of abus-
ing the Commissioners aud Assessors, bad better
pay their legal share Of taxes for once, and thank
the mechanics and laborers for keeping up the
wear and tear Of county, road and poor expenses.
10 examining the assessments on file in the Com
mssioner's Office, we find that The formers in this
county we're assessed with an occupation until
isi5. In 1874 tho Legislature passed an Act
regulating the assessment and collection Of State
tar, and after onumerating the hind Of property
upon which a State tax was to be assessed, eE-
empted the occupation Of farmer, and in fact
the occupation Of everybody else unless it exceed
ed S2OO the excess Of which was to be taxed OF
the rate Of one per cent for State purposes. II Is
evident that the County Commissioners in 1875,
and ever since, Interpreted the Act Of 1874, which
related 10 State tax, to apply to county tax also,
50 far as the occupation Of a farmer is concerned
This is not all the mistake and wrong that was
imposed upon the mechanics aud laborors- They
were really charged with a tbrce-mill State taA
upon their occupation, although only valued al
$50, $50 or $40, until 1850, At which period The
Board stopped assessing State tax on ocenpa
lions under $500. Oar humble self having been 3
member Of the Revenue Board in 1851, on our re-
turn home informed the County Commissioner
that no county in The State imposed three e-mil
tar on occupations except clearacld, and from
that period to the present no State tax has beer
assessed on occupations unless the value thcrco
exceeded $500.
The credit Of restoring the Act 1884, in refer
ence 10 the assessment Of an occupation tax Of
farmers, belongs to the present board Of Commis
sioners, aud no sensible man will complain abou
it when he reads the section Of the law giyci
above. The obcctor may say that the won
farmer" is not found in the Act. We conced
that point. Neither is the word backsmith,
Carpenter" laborer," or the name Of any othc
oceupntion given, yet, il the farmer is to cscap
bis occupation taI because be Is not named, can
not the other citizens got rid Of the same tax in
similar way Ifso, what is the law worth Mer
barney and no more.
Those, therefore, who have escaped for quar-
ter Of century paying their due proportion o
taxes should not growl now II they are called o.
for It in the future. Ills a. much the duty Of a
honest man to pay his legal aud iast portion Q
l''s' " to support aud cloihs his children