The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-22
FARMERS GROWING RICHER.
The Tale Told by 100 Average Farm
ers in Thomas County
From the ThomasvilIe (Ga) Times.

From the ThomdSutlLe (Gd.) Times.
The statement that the rich are growing
richer, contains an almost unconscious APP
peal to an unconfessed prejudice which. in
its truth and infaming influence, causes
the assertion that the poor are growing
poorer to be accepted also as unchallenged
truth. The fact is, the rich are growing
richer and the poor are growing richer.
The unfortunate and ill-meaning fact of
this question lies, however, Just here, that
the distance beeI poor and rich is undoubt-
eddy growing greater.
That the farmers of Georgia are not
growing poorer, think the tax book will
abundantly prove. To make test Of the
matter, so far as Thomas county is con
cerned, wrote down the other day the
names of fifty farmers. In preparing this
list tried to select men who had been en-
gagged in nothing but farming for the past
ten years. As far as | could do so, | tried
to select men who had inherited nothing
within this time, and who had not
given any portion Of their property to any
child OF children. l tried, also, to select
men who live now on the same land they
lived on ten years ago.
After preparing this list of representative
Thomas county farmers, went to the tax
books. and here is the story told by these
good citizens, each speaking under the
solemn obligation of his oath. As basis l
took the tax books for 1879 and 1889.
l found that seven farmers out of the
fifty showed q decrease. The aggregate re-
turns of the seven in 1879 amounted to
$2S 1874, and in 1889 to S25, 635. The de-
crease In ten years was, therefore, So. 159.
The largest individual decrease was 1910,
and the smallest S..
In 1879 the other forty three farmers re-
turned $50, 420, and in the year 1889 they
returned Sl45, 001-an increase in ten years
of $64, 5S1, or an increase of 8 per cent. per
annum The average individual wealth of
the forty three, in 1879, was 81, 81, and in
1889 it was S., 372.
When we remember that these forty
three farmers have met constantly increas-
ing family expenses, have educated their
children and so on, and in addition have
increased their wealth at the rate of s per
cent. per annum, the showing made be-
comes a striking and instructive one.
Since the foregoing was written 1 have
had the sheriff, tax receiver and tax col
lector suggest the names of fifty other farm
ers from among those of small means.
After these names had all been put down
the tax books were resorted to, and here is
the interesting story:
These fifty small farmers returned in
1879 $50, $50 worth of property, and in 1889
S64, 233, or their average individual wealth
in 1879 was $613 50, and in 1889 1t was 81,
2S4 &C.
Only four out of the fifty fell behind, their
aggregate return in 1879 being S7,474, and
in 1899 1886, a decrease of 81 $40.
The forty-six who advanced, were worth
in 1879, $23,216, and in 1899 they were worth
| $58,27S.
These figures are small, but they are
weighty with argument and reSplendent
with hope. They demonstrate several most
important facts.
1, that the farmers are not growing
poorer.
2. That the towns are not growing rich
at the expense of the country.
3. That farming pays, for these men have
lived and supported their families on the
product of their labor, and have saved
| enough to add an average of nearly 10 per
cent. per annum to the corpus of their
property.
The value of all the taxable property in
Thomas county in 1879 was So, $50, 703, and
in 1889 it was "a, Isl, 1885,