Evening journal., 1891-02-03

/ tAAhtlon OF investments &L lne same TANe
as other property. The farmers think
that our present tax law is both unjust
and oppressive. Real estate and farming
stocks owned by landlords and tenRnts
now pay, by careful estimate, SO per
cent. of all assessed taxes. They do not
intend to submit to 1t any longer IL is
IN admitted fact that Investments in
stocks, bonds. mortgages, etc, paw
much better than in real estate. and
there is no reason why the owners of
these should go free and the others bear
all the burden The farmers think that
no Just man will insist that this oppres-
sive system should continue. The
wonder is that it has been permitted to
exist so long.
Another feature of this bill is, that
the taxable is credited with the incum-
brance on his real estate and taxed only
for the residue. For instance, a farmer
owns a farm assessed at 5000 but
there is a mortgage against it for S.. 900
at present the owner of the mortgage
pays no tax whatever. while the Nominal
owner OF the farm pays tax on $40, 900
Now we propose to remedy this glaring
injustice by assessing the owner Of the
mortgage on IS, 600 and the owner of the
farm on the other $4,000 The tax,
therefore, will be the same, but it will
be equitsbly divided.
ut has been objected to by some that
moneY-lender will compel the borrower
to pay this tax and thereby impose an
additional burden on him, but this will
not be permitted, because a penalty will
be imposed for an attempt to do so,
together with forfeiture of the loan as
is now the law for lending money at
usurous rates.
Another feature of the bill is that
there shall be only one assess
ment and one assessor in each
and for all kinds Of prop
erty. This feature is to remedy great
deal Of uncertainty and sometimes OF
abuse. At present the county assessment
may be one thing; the municipal assess
ment another, and the school assessment |
still another By the change proposed |
all this confusion and injustice will be |
obvlated and when an assessment |
Is once made 1t will stand for all purposes.
This method will also save expense and |
of officers. There seems to /
be no reason whatever, why a man living /
in town, for instance. should be as
sessed at one sum for county purpose at /
mother for school purposes and a third /
Tor town purposes Neither Is there any /
'eason that there should be three men TO /
10 the same work; and yet not acting |
ogether or dependent IN any way the one |
ipon the other The other features of the |
lill relate more to methods than TO orin
'iple aud are not Of such general in
erast
The Militia Bu
Are the farmers back Of the move
nent to abolish the militiag
Not exactly But they are empbat
eallY and unanimously Ia favor of abol.
shing all that part Of the military
ystem that provides for excursions and
and for many reasons.
'irst--t'hey hold that it is needless
Expense. That there is no need for a
arge military system, and they especially
ebsl against these encampments. IL
las been said that these expenses do not
ome out of the state, but il anyone has
ny doubt about that matter. all he
leeds to do is to look az the auditors re-
'ort for 1887 and 1SSa, aud the treasurer's
eport made TO the present session Let
is take the auditors report for 1889 as
N illustration. On page 10 Adiutant-
General Kenney drew as contingent fund
100; page 30, "a. ono centennial inagura.
ion excursion TO Washington; on page
Il he drew 800 on part Of salary: OF
'Rge 33 Of the same book, 50, 743. paw
oil for Camp Phil Sheridan. 1889: on
age "a. he again drew $7,15727 ex
ense OF Camp Phil Sheridan. 1850: on
age 80 he drew 81 200, general appro
rlation to organize the Delaw ware
lational Guard; page 80, 800 on account
z salary aooroOotfpor RfR f0n - MI. |
II appear In the treasurer's account for
SS9, beginning with January and ending
With December. II the money had not
'een paid out the farmers would like to
now II it would not be still in the
reesury, subject 70 be used for other
purposes. The expenses, as reported in the
.uditor's report for 1887 are about the
anne, and / understand that the last
ncampment held az Brardywine Springs
he expenses were still larger The ex-
,enses are not the only objections TO the
armer. Camp life, in the opinion of the
most OF our farmers, is demoralizinR.
specially to the young, and It Is known
@ some OF the citizens OF Dover that
ONE young men, who were Of good
harscter and reputation, have ACQUIRED
abits Of drinking and gambling at the
amps which have brought sorrow to
nany hearts The conduct at the last
smp at Brandywine Springs was such
hat Bishop Coleman felt IL his dutv to
enounce il through the public press, and
e WAS giving expression to the senti
lent Of the sober minded and thought
n citizens generally.
The sherif-s Allowances.
How about the sheriffs allowances
That is very simple thing. The
piBion is almost universal among
armers that they are too high. The
armers do not object 70 just compensa
ion, but they are opposed to a man max.
ng fortune in one term OF two wears
from the best information they can OBJ
ain they believe that twenty cents day
OF boarding prisoners is ample. aud a
i'll to that effect will be presented later
o the session
Convict Laber
"Will you get the Convict Labor bil "a
his session and II So what are its gen.
raj provisions2"
Yes, 1t is our intention to get IL ia
We have already an act on our statute
'ook authorizing the Levy Court 70 hire
'ut convicts, but II has never been mt
4 operation. We propose making II
We do not believe that II
S justice to The taxpayers or even 10 the
onvicts themselves, 70 keep them as
hey are now kept, promiscuously
nd in idleness We think that thew
honld be made to earn their own living
I would be q relief to tue taxpayers and
90 IN fa,.xr dfcrlnltua frr Al I