Evening journal., 1893-03-02
FARM PROFITS ARE LESS
Few Farmers Can Now Af-
ford to Build a House.
THEY ARE GETTING DISCONTINUED.

out of Their Pronts-Earnest Discussion
ON Reduction of Taxation.
staf Correspondence Evening journal.
DOVER, March 2-The Kent County
Farmers Institute met In the Court
House on the green yesterday afternoon.
The meeting was fairly well attended by
many representative farmers, and sew
eral members Of the General Assembly.
Among those present who were directly
interested In the institute were j. Alex
der Fulton, Alfred H. Hudson. John
Heyd. John B. Wharton, George NJ Bas-
tian. w S Harrington, Hon. John NJ.
Eisenbrey, John Taylor, Andrew Holden,
A. X Cole, Hewitt l. Knight. John
Woodall, Matthew Huzen. Henry Massey,
w. ID. Larned, William Brothers. John
Lynch, Robert Friedal and Thomas
James.
The express purpose Of the meeting
was TO discuss the subject of taxation,
which Is now so much against the farm
ing community Of the county.
State Treasurer Wilbur II Burnite.
vice president Of the institute, called the
meeting to order, in the absence Of Presi
dent Coursey
John Heyd was selected as secretary
and Alexander Fulton was requested
to fully explain the purposes Of the
meeting.
He said that be received communica-
tion from President Coursey. addressed
TO the members Of the General Assembly.
but as only two members were present
he would defer 1t until more arrived. He
said
81 was instructed to make arrange
ments for this meeting and invite the
Legislature. A written communication
was sent TO the Legislature and the
House accepted IT, / am sorry more
members are not present
The subject Of TO day Is taxation,
which has been discussed here for the
last three years
He reviewed the agitation for equali-
zation of taxation, tod Of the different
resolutions and propositions 10 tax bonds,
mortgages, etc. The only proposition
which was not unanimously adopted by
the executive committee was the one to
make the mortgage holder to pay the
TAX on the face value Of the mortgage
and relieve the mortgage Just that much
There were only two who opposed 10.
The proposition to tax stocks. bonds
mort cages and other interest bearing
securities has been adopted over and over
again by the farmers institute and the
glangers That is the farmers stand.
10 remains for you TO say whether Il Is
just TO let the farmers pay sS per cent
of the state and county taxes ano let
men who are making much greater pro
fits % free of taxation
Farming Is not as profitable as IL was.
The farmers are getting discontented.
la 1873 the farms were paying you
handsomely. You could make improve
ments and you did not miss it out Of
your profits. To day you can hardly find
farmer who can afford to build a new
house
Land around Middletown that for
merly sold for 81 25An acre will not sell for
one.half that amount The Homewood
farm near Newark that was bought for
$2s 00J several years ago was recently
sold for S. 2UO. The real estate Of this
county has deprecated more than half
Is there any wonder that the farmers
of this state are discontented They
have some reason TO be dissatisfied.
do not lay them all TO local taxation
hey are due more TO national taxes.
But when farmer sees hat he is paying
taxes which other and richer men do
not pay. When the shoe pinches too
tightly you so to your Legislature for
relief
Here in Dover we have an assessment
Of $l,d00,t00. S25, 600 Of that was
personal property. Real estate paid
% $40 per cent. Of the tax and the
personal property z 10 per cent These
! men who have stocks aud bonds 20 free
and the burden Of taxation falls upon
the owners Of houses and lots, which dc
not pay them nearly so well.
ttIf ia said n ha uauu flfun 20 "a
investments. IL is not In 1870 there
was a law passed 10 tax investments
Through the instrumentality Of capital
/ lists this law was repealed inch by incl
a by the Legislature, but they never go
the farmers tax repealed We ask tha
, no borrower be asked TO pay the tax
, The man who makes the investment
+ should pay IL. 10 can be done. 4
penalty can make it impossible for thu
investor 10 compel the borrower TO pay
1 Make it forfeiture Of debt, the same a
. usury, or fine and imprisonment. Sucl
taxation has been made and can be mad
again.
81 sent letters to the different state
o. In relation TO taxation. / got answer
10 from twenty five states saying that botl
real aud personal property and bond
0 and other investments were taxed 70
+. every purpose. These are taxed Tn
}. investors say il is inquisitorial to inquir
IS about personal property. OF course It ]
inquisitorial, but isn't IL right2 Th
poor farmer can be quizzed as much a
you please. but not so with the capitalist
(. "I inquired further where the investo
: is taxed must he list them under oath
Z He must and penalties were provided
J. In seven states the owner is given credi
u for membranes. The law regard
Is them as Joint owners, and that is right
, In New Jersey the assessor gets tn
~ value, finds what you owe, and he strike
m the balance Giving credit is ju.
thing and works well In seven states.
''The point is 70 bring in the propert
that does not pay tax to relieve tl
! property now taxed.
M "rheie is one thing we insist on an
- that Is the taxation Of stock, bonds an
"a mortgages, which pay better than re
= estate. There is a Wilmington ma
- named Swift, who lived in Wilmington
p he was match facturer. He died lea'
ing an estate of about $3 800 600.
this only $l2, 900 was real estate al
that is a IN he Maid taxes on