The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-11-22
Some Reasons for High Taxes.
BY AN Ex-sUPERvIsoR.

BY AN EX-sUPERvIsoR.
That the taxes for county and township
purposes increase from time to time out OF
all proportion to the prices of farm prod
ucts Is obvious to the farmer who paws tax
es. Here are some of the causes of high
county taxes within the past few wears:
Some person, probably through his own
negligence comes in contact with a train
with more or less serious results. He or
she, as the case may be is visited by an at
torney, who takes the case on speculation.
Is to get One-half the Judgment If secured
The county furnishes the room to hear the
case, pays the judge and jury, furnishes the
court officers, and the average expense of
one days court is probably not less than
500 90. 1t is quite immaterial how the
case is decide, 1t will go to the supreme
court anyway; the county foots the bills and
the court calendar becomes so crowded that
two judges and two stenographers are now
required to do the work that was formerly
done by one. A proposition to tax the pub
lie to furnish the base ball ground, the UNI
pire and necessary appendages to base ball
game, involves the identical same reasons
that these various trespass cases do, and the
public at large would be equally interested
in the result of the ball games upon the
public grounds, as they are in the results
OF verdicts in such cases.
The taxpayers of this county are tired of
footing these bills for the practice work, or
scoring heats of young attorneys. Or as a
distinguished judge said, ''the crumbs which
well bred dog would reject" If any man
has trespass case to try on speculation, let
him put up $4,000 per day for court ex-
penses and proceed. but don't ask the pub
lie to back the speculation. Another form
of county court expense comes up in the
cases Of goods sold Oh contract-largely
second hand goods, and some of the luxu-
ries OF life, bicycles etc. These are sold on
such terms that the seller adds good per-
centage to the price, and then, IL the goods
are sold or removed, as is often the case,
the public is compelled to foot the bill of
bringing the delinquent back. In other
words, the dealers in this class of goods
take unusual and hazardous business risks,
and then invoke the commonwealth to as
sist them in making their risks good. If
there is an attempt to recover the goods by
the seller, often an assault results, and the
public is on both sides of the case, as far as
footing the bills Is concerned. If man is
engaged in hazardous occupation, his life
insurance rate Qf he insures) compels him
to pay larger premiums; but If he engages
in hazardous business ventures he asks the
public to assist him.
Still another cause of high taxation is i'm
the so-caled investigations of county Of
fcials and even members of the bar. A
recent investigation of the last named
was deemed by the Investigator worth some
thing like $4,000, but finally compromised
at an even $4,000. Why it is Of more public
interest TO know an attorney is square in
his dealings as an attorney or otherwise,
than it would be to know whether a mer-
chant sold shoddy for wool or farmer put
spoiled potatoes in the bottom of his meas
ure, is hard to tell. But it seems it is. An
investigation OF a sheriff cost the county
much, and 1t was never completed until
after the sheriff was triumphantly reelected
and indicated. No good was accomplish
ed, but the county, like Jones, "pays the
freight" An important or an unimportant
criminal case demands that an assistant be
employed. In other words jury of twelve
intelligent men and the presiding judge to
do justice must have an assistant to the
States attorney TO analyze the case and do
justice. 1t costs, however, and the county's
revenues are exceeded by its expenditures,
just like democratic administration. With
these continually increasing burdens, there
was enacted at the instigation of school sup
ply concerns at the last session of the legis-
lature, an act compelling each school dis
trict to purchase certain maps, charts, etc.
The law was mandatory and regardless of
circumstances, tax estimated to be be-
tween $50 and $50 was levied upon each
school district for these supplies. The book
concerns divided the state up into counties
and parts OF counties, and canvassers were
as thick as flies, all endeavoring to get
share of the spoils parceled out to them.
With the salaries Of all officials the same
and increasing in number, with the public
furnishing the schools for educating at
torneys, equipping their mills or the court
rooms, and paying the attendant expenses
of the grinding at the mills, and then ascer-
tanning occasionally at the cost of 500 90
each, as to whether they, the attorneys, are
fit grinders or nOt-with potatoes at Is cents
per bushel-takes more and more bushels to
pay the bills 1t takes about 200 bushels of
corn this year to furnish wall maps, charts,
etc. in each school district. And it takes
about $50 pounds Of wool to assist a jury to
disagree in Shiawassee county in single
case.s While to recover lot of goods from
a decamping quack specialist the people pay
tribute Of Q ton OF pork or Whereabouts.
"a government OF the people. for the PEG
pie and by the people," is good thing; but
do we have it and how long will this con-
tnue? The great middle class do not OBJ
ject to supporting the poor, but they do not
and will not much longer tax themselves TO
support The rich of the classes noted above.
EX-SUPERvIsoR.