The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-07-27
Legislative Needs or DaLota.

10 TIE Editor of the Graphic:
The great leading industry of Dakota
is agriculture and always will be. Out
side of the Hills we have no suitable
coal or other fuel or mineral by which to
operate manufactures, nor can we ever
make commerce our leading industry.
Our territory will soon be ribbed with q
net work of railway, and this will nat
urally dot her all over with small towns
and prevent the building of many-if
any-large cities. This being true, our
laws, under all circumstances, should
foster. not burden or crush, all ngricul.
tural efforts. There are two things
crushing out the very life at this time
of every farmer in the territory. list, the
loan and mortgage system. I'd, taxes.
The system by which loans and mort
cages are 10Y permitted under our laws
Is a most vicious and ruinous one. This
is, to my mind, the greatest evil that
aihicts our people; and if this present
system is to be permitted under law for
the next eight or ten years, there will
not be n in a hundred 1T the present
owners of the land inhabiting our
farms. The farms will have passed into
the hands of capitalists. l know not
how many millions, but many, of east
ern money are already loaned to our
farmers and mortgages given on their
farms to secure the same, drawing ten
per cent. interest and with stipulations
in nearly every note and mortgage for
the payment OF twenty-five to two hun.
dred dollars attorney fee. No agricul,
tural enterprise in the territory can en-
dure such a drainage. Ten per cent.
interest will sap the life out of all farm.
ing. say nothing Of the ubiquitous attor-
ney fee. These millions that are loaned
in this territory pay no taxes in this nor
in any other country. The money is
sent here for the express purpose Of saw
ing the capitalist from paying taxes on
1t. This makes a double burden for our
farmers to endure, and it should be re-
moved as far as legislation can remove
it. And the legislature can do much, if
it will. in this direction. 1t can and
should make provisions for taxing these
loans, INT make the mortgages pay it,
and not allow them to require the mort
gagers to pay it. Every mortgage
should be assessed at its face amount.
I'd, the law should put a stop to this ex-
acting an attorney fee to be inserted in
the note or mortgage. If these loans
were assessed and taxed it would reduce
the taxation on our farms fully one-half
if not more. Again, there should be
legislation regarding losses by hail
storms. Such losses are q public calam-
ity and not caused by tho fault of any
mortal. Being a public calamity and
without human fault, the statute should
provide aid and a remedy for its people.
This may be done, and should be done,
by the statute providing a light tax on
all property in the territory, to be col.
lected and passed into the territorial
treasury to be invested in U. s. interest
bearing bonds. Out of this fund pay
these unavoidable losses. 1t would take
but a slight per centum tax and would
give relief to all sufferers from hail with
no additional expense to the territory.
1t would be the cheapest and most solid
hail insurance possible to obtain. Once
more l refer to what l nave before writ
ten about and that is with reference to
artesian wells. This territory cannot
too soon cause from two to four artesian
wells to be sunk in each township
throughout South Dakota, so that our
lake beds may be filled with water and
forever held full, and by evaporation in
to the air and ground these hot winds
may be subdued and additional moisture
secured to the whole territory. This
question should receive the prompt and
thoughtful consideration of all our peo-
pie. We cannot prosper under a loss of
crops every two or three years from
drouth. Our only way to remedy the
evil is by irrigation through artesian
wells. 1t will require q large expendl-
ture Of money but if drouth is to cut off
in whole or in part our crops every few
years it would be a profitable enterprise
at almost any cost. In conclusion l re-
peat our legislative needs: LIST, a law to
regulate the loaning and mortgage bust.
ness. I'd, to prevent any attorney fee
being required in notes and mortgages.
Sd, assess all recorded mortgages at their
face amount and levy a tax thereon
against the mortgage and prohibit his
requiring the mortgagor to pay the same.
4th, to provide protection, by taxation,
against hail storms. 5th, to sink artes.
ian wells in every township in South
Dakota. W. II. Curtiss.