The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-02-19
STATESMAN :

ia Aai wv ~ ~ - Sy 10
10 the Agricultural Editor Of TEs
STATESMAN:
In your remarks on taxation in to-
days "STATEsMAN" you invite discus
sion. Will you permit an old fogy to
suggest that notes and other evidences
of debt are not proper subjects of tax
atom All Improperly should be taxed
to support the state, but once is sutfi-
cient. Perhaps | can convey my
meaning better by an illustration. A
borrows $1,000 from b, giving his note
for it. A has the money on hand
Jan. l, and, if an honest man, reports
it to the assessor and is taxed. Now
b has a promise to pay the same $1,000
and is taxed also. Is this not double
tax on that $1,000? Besides this double
tax is all paid by the one least able to
pay it, the poor debtor, for the lender
is sure to exact interest enough to
cover what he has to pay. If we are
o believe the lecturers for the various
farmers organization, the farmers are
generally in debt. Suppose Farmer
Cotton Ball needs $1,000 and finds Shy
lock Legal Tender has the stuff to lend,
The security is deemed satisfactory
but Legal Tender wants IL per cent
interest, while Cotton Ball thinks s
enough. "Well," says l.. T., 81 AIN
willing to put up with per cent clear
but as my tax is about per cent, ]
must have the ~. My state, coun-
ty, city and dam bonds tax
is so near per cent that
to protect me from loss, | will
Just say IL per cent" Now, Mr.. Ed.
itor, who pays this tax? And besides,
the farmer is helping to build the dam
for the city of Austin.
As to ready money, it almost en-
tirely escapes taxation. Less than
OF Travis county for the year 1860.
show several hundred thousands on
| deposit. The remedy for this is sim
pie and easy of application if officers
and juries will do their duty. Let
the grand jury ascertain the amounts
of deposit in the banks to the credit of
the taxpayers. and then learn from
| the assessors books how much is
| rendered for taxation and then if it
does not agree with the other &C
count, indict the guilty for perjury,
| for every assessment is, or should be,
| sworn to, but if you have had as much
experience as have you have found
out that the average grand jury will
let a million dollars escape taxation
rather than mdict the pious perjurers
who are generally known to keep some
money on hand. RUsTICUs.
KEEP FARM TOOLS SHARP.
Every farmer knows the advantage
of a sharp pillow and hoe, and the diff.
ference between sharp and q dull
moving blade; and yet from laziness
or want OF thought he worries along
with blunt implements and performs
in q second rate manner not more than
two-thirds of what might have been
accomplished in the same time, in
first rate style, had his tools been in
proper order. l am quite within the
mark when l put the loss of labor at
one-third; ana the wear and tear and
worry Of man and team, if they can
not be summed up in like manner,
amount to great deal.
Every mechanic worthy of the name,
keeps his tools always ready" fol-
tirst-class service, and that should be
the farmers motto.
Every pillow should have at least one
spare sharp point in reserve ready foi
any emergency, and fitted with its
full complement Of bolts and taps
This forehandedness will save much
valuable time and many cuss words
during the year.
All cultivators and planters should
be got out of the fence corners al
once and be thoroughly overhauled
Many little items will be found want
: ing attention, and had better receive
it before the day arrives fol
= their use. As last season drew
to close many a scres
, was allowed to become loose or lost
and some essential part of the ma
chine was nearly worn out, but was
tolerated as time was too precious tC
stop for repairs and the season was
nearly over. These things have beer
) forgotten, maybe, but if not attended
to now, will assert their importance at
some announcement season.
The surest poison for weeds and
. other obnoxious vegetation is SHARP
hoe, and money spent in files will give
big return. It will also pay to keer
a reserve stock of names, trace chains
split links, copper rivets, bolts Of va
rious sizes, clevs and other parts
liable to break or wear out, Break
ages will occur under the best man
agement and the quicker they can be
repaired the smaller the loss.
MANURE FOR OATS.
Henry Stewart, writing to the
Rural New Yorker on the application
of barnyard manure, says: MY nex'
lesson was with an oat crop. The
land was corn stubble, and | had
obtained some new seed of imported
Scotch oats, called Angus, u heavy
grain, weighing AZ pounds to the
bushel. The manure was hauled righ'
from the stables, as it was made, loaC
by load, and spread over the land
| stakes being stuck in the snow Il