The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-09-03
Tax
ar. paid
1869 II Amount paid in 10 yrs, S944 s.

The property on which the above sum
mas been paid consists of one hundred aud
sixty acres of land in Dakota county, and
the personal property of the owner general
~ valued at about $l75 or 5000.
But this is not all probably from three to
ten times the laboring mans tax is drawn
from him in order to support the govern
me ut and the Eastern nnonnfa cturerS.
Now, brother farmers, look over your tax
receipts and see if it is not pertinent to in
quire: What becomes of the money, and
who gets the benefit of our labore
AUGUST 81, 1874. EUREKA.
Now. according to the Report of the
State Auditor, l874-p. 81, the total
number of acres of land. exclusive of
town lots, assessed in Minnesota in
1873, was l2,702,167 acres. If we d.
vide this by 100 we find that this total
represented 1888 tracts of 100 acres
each.
If now we will suppose that each Of
these tracts Of 100 acres has been
taxed, on the average, ten years, and
that the average taxation has been as
great as that stated by our correspond
ent, and that it is equal, with IL per
cent. interest compounded each year,
to $944.65; then let us multiply 49,
3SS, the number of such tracts, by
S944.65, the amount Of tax and inter-
est, and we find that it amounts to
$74.993,S74.2O.
In other words, if the average taxa
ton of the farm lands Of Minnesota,
during the past ten years, had been
loaned out at bank rates, and the inter-
est loaned out at the end of each year,
it would have amounted to very nearly
serenity fire millions Of dollars!
The total assessed valuation of all
lands, outside of the towns, villages and
cities, (see Auditors report, p. 6l) last
year, was So, 275, $4,000.
So that the total taxation in ten
years is seventeen million dollars great
er than the total assessed valuation of
the property on which the taxes were
paid. The horse has eaten his own head
off and a good part Of the neck and
shoulders.
And what have we got for this enor-
nous sum! We have given away the
value of our farms and what have we
to show for it! What great works of
internal improvement decorate the
land? We have paid sum great
enough, with the interest on it, to build
all the railroads in the State. Where
is it:
Let our readers study this thing out.
Let them hunt up their tax receipts
and go to figuring, like our Eureka cor
respondent.
We do not mean to be understood as
denouncing individuals The disease
has been universal. The people have
neglected their own affairs and the
whole nation has run wild. We have
reached new era. We must econo.
mise or &c under. Which shall it be
In large cities, like st. Paul, there Is
most daplorable state of affairs. Tx.
alton really means con6scation. In tht
midst of financial distress, with ths
merchants chewing the ends off .hei1
yard sticks, with thirteen bankru3tcie:
in thirty days, with the oldest houses
going under OF compromising for thirt,
cents on the dollar, the tireless work o
taxation goes on; new streets ar
opened, new Improvements Projected
| new contracts made, new judgn ents en-
tered bearing two per cent. par month
until distressed property owners env,
the poor devils who have nothing to tax
Let rs call halt. Let the next Leg
islature inaugurate . real reform. Le
them strike at extrsxvagauce root an
branch. Let the fellows who have bee
living on their fellQwmen migrate.