Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-19
FAnMERs NOT pBospNpons
Good-paying Farms Are the Exoeptio
Not the Rule--The Tax Question hi


Good-paying Farms Are the Exception
Not the Rule--The Tax Question Dis
cussed.
Editor Gazette: On Tuesday last. as nm
pears in EVERY EVENING of the iii
instant, the farmers had an audience witt
the members of the House of Representa-
tives, who gave a hearing TO j. Alexandel
Fulton and others on the tax question
we thought that Messrs. Fulton, Case ant
Slaymaker, had made a good impression
| on the audience in favor az a modification
Or our assessment laws. Had we stoppeC
there we would have had good case. but
the speaker that followed, for some cause
mat no one can divine, seemed disposed Ii
| knock the whole thing on the head by de.
claring that land was not assessed at more
IMAM hall its value, and that farms were
| paylpg their owners an enormous income.
some OF them assessed at $4,000 paid an
income OF $4,000 year. He meant, We
suppose, the DIR. Ashcraft farm and, per
haps, his own.
statement was misleading. The Ashcraft
Iarin IS an exception, ii is mostly in peach
trees and may have had a crop that yielded
Sl5,OOO for single year, when the cron
and prices were both favorable; it has been
NE most successful peach farm in the
state and though it may have had crop in
1853 that brought $4,000, one-half Of that
OF the farm $500. Last year the farm
was dead expense to both landlord and
tenant. So we must divide 81, 500 by two,
inns leaves for that wonderfully productive
farm ~, 100 a very nice sum, we admit.
But Or. Ashcroft has pay for all repairs,
lertiliZers and other incidental expenses
out of his 50, $50 and this wear NAV be no
better than last, in which case he would
nave to divide profits again. But there is
NOT another Ashcroft farm in this county
ana the signs of the times are that he will
ny never get another crop that will yield
There is not one farm in 10 that paws
I'VE per cent on the assessed value and one
could point to farms that have been sold
on time, and as long a time as the mr.
chaser might want, that did not bring over
one-half the assessed value The gentle
men $ remarks were calculated to make the
members believe that the farms are in a
prosperous condition, but such is not the
TACT The depression of agriculture has
oppressed the farmers until nine-tenths of
tnem re at the mercy of their creditors
1t is true that the prices of farm prodnnfs
are much better than they were year ago.
but most OF the farmers were compelled to
sell before the advance. And the crop
being about one-half short left the hest
farmers with but little to sell at ANYTIME.
me gentleman says, take farm that
80 "-otpuIu, ana is assessed at half its
value and has a mortgage on it of SlO.OOD.
Tax the mortgage and the owner has not
cent to pay. That might be so. But
where is the farm that is assessed mt half
US value. We know of farms that have
beeIi sold on long time that did not bring
man the assessed value. Each of these
cases may be extreme but the members
are under no obligation to follow either,
Dut 70 formulate an equitable law that |
would relieve the oppressed and bear
lightly on Others. We would not relieve |
me ostcnsible owner of the farm from all /
.axation, but let him be assessed as Others,
ne now pays ~ cents on the 500. If the
mortgage pays half as much tax on his
mortgage as he does on his farm that and
'Iher taxables might bring the percentage
Town to 20 cents. He would then have
'nly half the tax to pay that he now does
ind tfiat WOMB be snfticient relief. But
perhaps some would say that the farm
You'd be paying double tax; nothing Of
he kind. The farmer only pays on the
arm, the capitalist on his capital. sup
'ose he gives bond with security instead
! 9 mortgage, what connection would that
AVE with the farm? 1t is capital, and
ught to be taxed with all other property
reducing income. Then the burthen
onld be easily borne by all parties.
One OF your correspondents, in com
renting on the tax bill, draws compare
1n between a 5000 house in the city and
5000 farm in the country, and shows
nat the city tax is much more than that
the farm, That may be so, but we
ould venture the assertion that the house
tavorably located, will yield more clear
lcome after paving the tax than one-half {
the 5000 farms in the country.
We do not write this counting contro-
ersy, and do not propose to have any If
e have misstated anything or INSTRUCTED
he remarks of the gentleman alluded to |
Iere We're scores of others present who
card all thar was said and are capable Of /
dying whether we are right or wrong. 4
llr only object in writing this article is to
to, remove the impression that seems to
I'VE been made that the farmers were in !,
osperous condition, raising largeincomes i
ON their farms and We're squealing with U
y y cause. DELAWARE FARMER.
KENT COUNTY March 18th. 1891.