The Van Buren press., 1878-12-24
Food tor Reflection,


e from the Fort Smith Elevator to GU
/ readers, and through them to the legis
, lature. These are times in which ther'
) should be no waste Of public money
aud the matters referred to in the Elc
, vator, should have the careful consider
| alton Of the general assembly, soon t
meet at Little Rock
TOO MUCH TAXEs-Too MUCH TAXES.
HARD TIMEs-THE REMEDY.
Perhaps, rs people, we are too prone
to look TO the government for aid, whel
the times are hard, money is scarce, ant
the produce of the farmer brings abou
hall its usual value, but it is sometimes
necessary. A new legislature is abou
to sit-wll take its place in January, anc
if there is any way to relieve the people
our duty, as a friend CT the poor work
] ing man, is, rs far as in us lies, to point
out that way
Members of the legislature are gener-
ally well to do in this worlds goods,
and when they get together, and are
having their jolly times at the capital,
and drateing the same pay they did when
suit of clothes that can now be bought
for $40, was worth $50, or when pork,
that is now worth three cents, was worth
ten, they hardly think of the people.
We mean to say that the hard times are
"A positive advantage to all officers who
get as much now, as they did when mon
ely was plenty, because they can live on
less than half what it cost them before,
aud use their surplus for speculation or
bettcring their condition, and the consc-
quence will be, unless the press and peo-
pie persistently demand tho needed re-
forms and curtailment OF salaries and
fees, the legislature will not think OF re-
dueing their own per diem, nor the sala-
ries or fees Of officers, 50 that there
would be no need of less taratioa.
Take notice, we make this point I:
That every officer, from constable up, is
so much benefited by the hard times,and
the great scarcity of money, as not to de-
sire change in his fees, and it is to his
interest to be against the people who have
the taxes to pay, to keep up his high
fees and emoluments. That position is
as plain as this: Calico cost 12I cents a
yard, in 1875; calico, now. 1878, costs,
81 cents. If an officers fees were s. a
day in 1875, and continued S. day in
1873, he could buy twice as much now
as then. Does he want any ehaDgey not
he.
Now, word about fees in particular
Democrats complain that the Republic
cans charged high fees and taxed the peo-
pie too high. They made two or three
laws fixing fees OF officers, but it was
reserved for Democratic Legislature
in which the members from this coun-
ty were the prime movers, to sustain,
advocate and pass rate Of fees, which
in several instances lays Republicans in
the shade. What is the remedy? Re
duce fees and salaries onc-half, and taxes
one-half, and not an officer OF The State
will resign. The Judges should be well
paid and we would make less deduction
in their salaries and in some Of the State
officers.
One saving of $4,000 to the Sta te
and counties can be made by repeating
that part of section SO (Miller's Digest
of the Revenue LawD which relates to
estate of the county for collecting taxes.
1t will be remembered that real estate is
only assessed once in four years, and as
one book will last the collector tolr
years, there is not the slightest use Of
making four bookstore each year. Ev
cry Clerk you talk to about it will ad
NIT it is an absurdity. This will make
a saving in the taxes of say $3.50 a coun
ty, or 81 $50 tor the State.
Again: Sections SO aud SO might as
well be repealed, for this reason 1t re
qures the clerks to eltend the taxes Oh
the books-that is, if mans real es
tate is worth $500, the Clerk must max,
out how much taxes of each kind he has
to pay, and put it in columns opposite
the $500. For instance In one column
how much State General Revenue; il
another, how much to pay State debt
in another, how much to pay Stat,
school, &C., making frequently eight o,
ten columns for each tax, to be calcula
ted and put in; and any Sheriff in thu
State can easily make the calculation
Z himself, and we know some OF them l'
it now, paying no attention to thos
made by the clerk. Every figure thu
: put down is charged for by the clerk a
5 ten cents a hundred, and if makes an
a other expense to eace.i county OF at leas
sloo veSr, or another Sll, 250-sa,
600 :, year less taxes for state an
county, can be saved by simplifying tn
b work in these two eases. But we wi
r have occasion to speak of county AN
# state expenses and taxes again.