Milford chronicle., 1885-01-30
TIE LIGFvsV


a.EssRs EDIToRs.-I read your editorial in youl
| last issue on the license system Of Delaware, a,
to its bearing heavily on the manufacturer and
dealer. Am pleased that. for once, we have a
Governor of Delaware who has some hberality
about lin, aud who wants to see his native
State keep step with her sister States. Now lei
us see with what justice the manufacturer com.
plains of the burlhen Of taxation. They are
paying one-tenth Of one per cent. on the amount
spent for raw material and the labor expended
on the same. IF that amounts to $500 900 in a
year. the tax upon the same will he 5000. Now
what amount oftaX would a farmer pay who
sold $500 900 worth Of farm products in single
year. lt strikes me that il woulI take hun
dred farms each 10 sell $l0, 900 worth and when
you put our county, road, poor and school tax
at about so cents on tho $780, the tax woud
amount TO $1,000 annually; and yet. farmers do
not, as a rule not even Grangers, join together
as the manufacturers AMI traders OF Wilmington
are doing 20 try to get ont Of paying their just
share Of the burthen OF good government.
manufacturer may have for his motive power
COrlis engine that cost $40 900, and he is en-.
tirely exempt from paying a single cent of tax
upon it; he may also have sl0O, 900 worth OF ma.
chinery and another $50 600 Or slOO, ,OOo worth
Of working capital, and all are entirely exempt
from taxation. While if a farmer has blind
and lame mule for his motive power, and it is
only worth 800 he will be taxed to It's full value
as well as for every dollars worth of live stock
upon his iarm yet he does not complain.
The question for farmers TO ask is: do the man.
and tradc5men get any Of the benefits
Of our State government? Ifthey do. then they |
shonId pay their just share of the expenses of the
same. Il is no argument to say that New Gas. |
lie county pays double of both Kent and Sus. |
sex counties. They should be only too proud |
that they have more than double the wealth Of |
he two lower counties, and as they only pay in .
proportion TO tile wealth they represent, can
zee no cause OF complaint.
Suppose family Of three brothers have LETT
o them $4,000, one goes into trade, another to
arming and the third engages in manuiactur-
ng; were it not for our present license system
he trader and manufacturer would not pay q
ent Of taxation in any shape if they rented tn.
buildings in which they carried on their busi
less, while the farmer would have to pay on bis
and and all bis live stock. As a farmer would
ay to our farmer Legislators, do not repeal the
resent license unless YOU tax all the machinery
nd money necessary to carry on the business
{ manufacturing, also the stock Of goods in the
rader's store,ju as the farm and the live stock
pom it are taxed. When that is done they will
OF complain that they are twice taxed; but will
nd that one farmers tax is four.iold what two
taxes ever amounted to.
l cannot see the force of Representative
Ioore's argument when he says: eff man
lkes a contract for .O,OOO, and it costs him
25 900 to complete it, he is required TO pay tax
D the latter sum-" It strikes me that the ar. 5
ument is just a little muddled. hope his leg /
lation will not be shat way; yet there is enough
that kind Of stuff in and around Dover to make .
legislators get that way themselves Legisla-
RS should be clear and leyelheaded If they are
legislate properly.
Yours, suffering yet an accomplishing tax b
lying FARMER. e