Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-08-13


ton applied to real and personal
would bring out for taxation
many millions of dollars and reduce
the burden Of taxation nearly il not
quite fifty per cent. throughout the
territory.
That such system of taxation is
feasible, will illustrate: The asses
scr comes to Sam Jones, who occu-
pies farm worth $1,000, and he shall
be required by law to ascertain il
there be any encumbrance upon it he
finds there is $1,000, secured by mort
gage on the farm, payable to John
Smith ;he assesses Sam Jones for 49,
600 and John Smith for $4,000 III
within time fixed by the law after
the tax roll has been placed in the
hands of tax-collector, John Smith, or
whoever may then own the mortgage,
does not pay the tax oa the $1,000, il
shall be collected of Sam Jones in the
same manner and be lien upon the
land the same as the tax assessed to
Jones; and when it is paid by Jones
a receipt shall be given HIM, which
shall be made by law legal-tender
to the amount of such taxes assessed
to John Smith on the first interest or
principle that falls due ON such mort
gage, no matter in whose hands the
mortgage at the time may be; then to
wall mp the road against provisions
in the mortgage that would bind Sam
Jones to pay all the taxes that might
be assessed on such mortgage to John
Smith, the law should farther provide
that any such provision in any mort
gage on real estate or personal prop
erty, or other reservation or contract
OF any kind with intent to avoid the
provisions Of such law, shall render
the note or mortgage void ob initiO,
and therefore not collectable even in
the hands of an innocent holder. This
law should apply to all membranes
and all monies loaned here whether
10y residents or non-residents; wheth-
er the nonresident be taxed where
he resides ON the money he has loan
eel here makes no difference to us; il
non resident has $4,000 worth of
farm machinery here on the first of
May, to be sold by agents, it is assess
ed and taxed under our present tax
law and the same as to horses or cat
tie or any other personal property;
we do not ask nor care whether he Is
required by the law of the state where
he resides to list the property there,
or not, we assess it az we should.
Then why not assess money Of non
residents invested here and secured
by mortgage on either real or personal
property Is money anything more
or less than property can any reason
be given why it should not be assess
ed that would not apply with equal
force to non-residents machinery or
horses or other personal property
sent here to be sold by agents as
money is also sent here to be loaned
for a price by agents7 / fail to dis
cover any equitable reason why one
class OF non-resident's property
should be assessed and another ex-
empted. Here is surely room for
great and equitable advance in our
revenue system, an advance that
would not only materially aid the
farmers, but all other tax paying in
terests, except those engaged in loan
ing money; and il it be true that the
devil taISss care of his own, let those
who would avoid paying their equit-
able proportion Of taxes, il they could,
turn TO him for consolation which we
cannot offer.
Can the members OF this association
do more to make this meeting mem
orable, more TO distinguish it for in
telligence, patriotism and usefulness,
more TO draw us close to the hearts
OF the mass OF our people, more to
prove ourselves worthy the profession
we have adopted, than to resolve
that we will in fact as in name be ed
ucators of the people and stand
guard over their rights and interests
and demonstrate, that the pen is
mightier than the sword; resolve that
the evils which now Cypress the agri-
culturist and depress all other pur
suits shall be wiped out; that We will
lead and point out the way and rouse
the people until they shall rise mp as
one man, and with the finger of legis-
lative power trace upon the statute
book of this commonwealth laws that
will protect all. be just TO all, making
each person in the law, corporate or
otherwise, resident or non resident,