The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-11
TAXES.
Figures Showing that Fay
the Larger Portion of Taxes.

To the Editor of the Ir dianapolis Journal:
Peelle's report and the census of 1890 show
that the manufactures products of Indiana
amounted. in 1889, to $14S,000, 900; 1890, $685.
100000. The amount of capital invested in
manufactures was $4,000, 900 in 1890. The
report also shows that the average product
of the farms of Indiana for twelve years
was Sill, 100000; the value of lands and i'm
provements was $3.50, 900. 000: personal prop
erty, $50, 900, 600: cost Of repairing fences,
$.354,OOO; farming implements, $50, 476, 900;
fertilizers, s34O, 900. making a total invest
ment of 500, 600, 900, producing a product
valued at Sill. 0 1000. From these products
the farms pay at least 50 per cent. of the
State and county taxes, as shown below:
Capital Value of Taxes pd.
investmt. products ap'roX' I'd.
Farms ......s7 500, 100000 s117 100000 500 900
Manufrs =. 66,oCo,00o 22S 100000 sec. 00
Railroads -. 161, &C., 600 122,0N,000 1000, 600
OF cities, lots
and improve
mentss ........ 226, oO0,Oo0
IN 1894 the railroads claim to have paid
100000 taxes (see Peelle's report, but as
they only represent one-tenth of the value
of the State, how could they pay more than
cne-tenth of the taxes? Surely the cities
are hitting the railroads hard for taxes.
THE above table is worthy of consideration.
1T shows tina an investment of 8 cents in
manufactures yields a product equal in
value to 81 in an investment in farming.
IL the manufactured product paid a tax in
proportion to the farm product, il would
pay at least $17. 000, 600 instead of $500, 900; or,
on the other hand, If the farm products
paid a tax in proportion to the manufac-
tured product 1T would pay about $400, 900
instead of $1,000, 600. Surely Indiana is the
haven of the manufactures. 1 do not wish
to be understood that this showing is made
IS a complaint; however. | do not presume
Chat all the farmers OF Indiana would object
to being in the same fix that LaPorte and
Lake counties are, where the railroads are
paying more than one-half of the taxes.
Indiana although shown 10 have the lowest
Vermont. by the census report of 1890, makes
that all up and some TO spare In diScounting
her sister States, Ohio and Illinois, by in
crease of cities. Although they have more
than three times our population. they only
gained five cities each. OF the 1880 towns of
Indiana a majority exist more by name
than population: two hundred have a popu-
one thousand. and twenty-four have n
population of over six thousand.
eleven of which came into the
six thousand list since 1880. Indiana has
a city for every ninety-one thousand in
habitants, while the average OF the United
States is one for every ul,oGa of over six
thousand population. If the railroads are
paying $,0Q.00 taxes, this Is $3.50 per mile.
This seems to be a pretty stiff tax, vet IL is
hardly i'm proportion TO the tax on farms.
When we place the taxable values of the
railroads of Indiana In 1899 alongside the
total iaxable property Of the State i'm 1850,
which was $l3S. QG9 900. the railroads OF 1880
are $2J, oU0,O coo more than the total taxables
of the State in 1850. So we must concede
that the railroads have increased our
wealth at railroad speed, but the rate of