The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-17

he loses no opportunity to seek out aho
disseminate such information as ne
thinks will best subserve that end,
regret the more my inability to answer
specifically the enquiries made. Ihes
are not only pertinent but appropriate.
They involve matters of incalculable I'M
portance to our people. But there Is no
classification of values, industries, re-
CENTS or disbursements, by which the
eract relative proportion OF the taxes
paid bv the various interests OF our peo-
pie, may be definitely determined. 10
AL. as to him. it is known that the great
burden of direct taxation rests on our
agricultural population, and that this IS
scarcely a 1.-THE of what is borne by 1t IN
the way of indirect taxes. His views on
the fence question are emlnently correct
and proper. The farmers Of the State
are compelled Iy h9 to keep up nearly
200. 600 miles Of fencing, which, if des-
troyed, could not be replaced for less
than $50. 600. 600, and they are not even
allowed to say at the ballot box that 1t
should be dispensed with. In this State
we have in farms, improved, woodland
and unimproved, 10000, 900 acres in
round numbers. Only 20 per cent Of
this land is producing wealth, the re
naming "A per cent doing nothing.
Only 456 out of every thousand of u
population we 10 years of age are at
york, and Of those IS per cent. are en-
gagged IN farming. OF the aoeahh of the
State, agriculture controls 1872 9 1914,
while other sources control $I7S. AGA. $50.
The Agriculture of the State command
ing only 81 per cent. of the money value
of the wealth of the State, and only 20
per cent. of the land improved in farms
Is supporting - per cent. Of the total
population. The enquiries of your cor
respondent are timely, for they have a
direct bearing on a very important duty
imposed by the law on this Department
viz: the collection of Statistics. Our
efforts while not as successful as we
could wish, were nevertheless encour-
aging, and although the Department
is positirely required by lac to collect
these Statistics, and although it is left
to do the work relying simply on the
voluntary aid Of the citizens, yet | am
encouraged to hope that by persistent
effort, the people, like your correspon-
dent, will learn to appreciate the value
and importance of the work, and come
generously to our aid. As apropOs to
the subject in hand, | respectfully ask
you append the following able
clipped from the Charleston
Necs md Courier.
In the support and encouragement of
the proposition may be
stated thus: As the United States is to
other governments, SO is North Carolina
many of the States of the Union.
l.. L. Polk.
The preceding article was designed to
show the vast and i%ncalculable impOr-
ance of American agriculture to this
Government this, to what extent that
Importance has I'm the councils of the
been practically recognized.
The most curSOry examination disclOses
he fact that neither our State nor Ma
ional Government furnishes any excep-
whatever to the old, old rule with
egard to farmers being the bone and
NEW. but enjoying few of the privile-
es OF active participation in the Gov
rnment. But more than this, it has to
considerable degree been left to this
re eminently agricultural Government
. present the modern anomaly of invi-
iOus distinctions with regard to the
gricultural classes. Regardless of the
of our country by the arts of
he h~usbandman, her Congressional re-
ord presents the following appropria-
yOns in round numbers for 1879:
Postofice Department 49,. 10000
1 Mar Bspa ns' aaament. ss s;.os%S
Treasury Department.. 1900 900
Agricultural Department. zt50N
According to these figures the relative
Importance of the various departments |
as been practically stated by the gen l
al government to be as follows :
hSrcna :
IL =
POStCffice - :
o.
Interior. 1871 :.
4I. :
Treasury Sl5. +
Two years ago it was as follow: /,
Agriculture. 1.
g. .
Justice. 10. :.
POstOffice. 81. =
Interior. 2l5. e
800.
Treasury. 931. q