Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-28
CAUSES OF SOUTHERN DEPRESSION
COST OF WAGON TRANSPORTA'
TON.

CAUSES OF SOUTHERN DEPRESSION
COST OF WAGON TRANSPORTA-
TION.
Unless our farmers have made the cal
culstion, it will astOnish them to know
how much the transportation OF farm
products, by the ordinary means, costs
them. At recent meeting in Henry
county some facts were produced which
created quite q sensation among the
farmers of that county in regard to what
its costs them TO get their cotton, wheat
and tobacco to the nearest market. It
is true some argue that when a man
hauls with his wagon and team, and
drives the team himself, it costs moth
ing. How fallacious. AS well might a
farmer argue that because he raises
wheat, corn or tobacco on his own land
by his own labor, and with his own
horses or mules, that it costs him moth
ing. Hauling is done at time when the
work stock are needed on the farm to DO
good blowing, so as to enable the farmer
to make a good crop the next year.
When mules or horses are employed in
hauling during the fall and winter
months, not only is there loss of time
which might be profitably employed in
a proper preparation Of the land, but
many mules and horses are thus, by
heavy hauling, rendered unfit for farm
ing purposes the next year, if they are
not actually killed by hard work on bad
roads. The less hauling farmer has 10
do the better will be the condition Of his
work stock, and the heavier will be the
yield of his crops. The northern farm
ers understand this well, and that is one
reason why their lands yield more to the
acre. Their work stock is in beJter
condition, and they do better plow-
ing at the time when 1t does
the most good. The facts here elected
also snow how much heavier are the
indirect taxes which our people pay
than are those which they do pay to
sustain their State and county govern
ments. We quote from the Hltel6gea-
Ger: at costs ten cents a bushel to haul
wheat from the neighborhood Of Union
hall, in this county, to Paris, distance
of sixteen miles, and five dollars to haul
a hOg5head Of tobacco the same dis
lance. II an old acre Of land produces
ten bushels Of wheat, the tax upon this
acre for transportation to Paris is one
I,II IoTr S,fi
land produced a hOgshead Of tobacco,
the transportation of this tobacco to
Paris is two dollars. The State tax upon
an acre of land worth twenty-five dol
lars is ten cents, and q county tax Of ten
cents, making twenty cents on an acre
for the State and county, or only one
fifth of the tax for the transportation Of
the wheat, and one.tenth OF the tax for
the transportation OF the tobacco raised
on this acre TO Paris. This indirect tax
which you do not seem to regard, is five
or ten times az much as the direct taxes
OF which you go much complain. These
remarks are applicable to ell parts of the
county distant from the railroad four.
teen or fiften miles. The nearer you ap- |
prOach Paris the less this tax is, but !
even ten or twelve miles from Paris the |
tsx is very heavy. If a man owns one
acres Of land, assessed at ten |
dollars per acre, the whole amount OF
his State and county tax is eight dol
lars. If on this land be produces three |
OF tobacco, and one huodred |
bushels OF wheat for sale, his 1ansporta- |
ton tax is fifteen dollars on the tobacco |
and ten dollars Oh the wheat; total, |
twenty-five dollars, or seventeen dollars
more than his State and county tax"