The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-07-07
THINGS WHICH GO TOGETHER.

"A rev OdyS since TWO cltlZenS were
discussing the relative wealth of two
counties not widely apart. with equal
populations, farming lands Of about
equal fertility, and with the same adj
vantages Of reaching the market. One of
them contended that the appraisal of
the properties for the purpose of taxa
ton should be the same, maintaining
that IL the one was a better county
tina the other it was due to the indus
try of the inhabitants. which should not
be taxed. The other commended that the
better highways, the better titled farms,
the improved stock, the better school ad-
~vantages. and, altogether, the more in
telligent and progressive population of
the n county made it's property more
valuable, and for that reason the two
should not be put upon the same plane
when valued for the purpose Of taxa
ton. "A farm Of the same number of
acres and otherwise about equal as TO
fertility and markets in - county
would not sell for three-fourths as much
as that in - county," he said. chiefly
because the last named has a much
more progressive populations; 1t has bet
ter roads because 1t has a higher grade
Of inhabitants; it has better schools and
schoolhouses because 1t has a class of
people who will have the best; it's coun-
ty and township affairs are more pru-
IDENTIFY managed because a more intelli-
county seat is much larger for the same
population because the people are better
off. have more to sell and more with
which to purchase. A great deal more
satisfaction can be got out Of living in
- county than in the other"
There is a great deal in this. The diff
ference in communities accounts for
much Of the difference in the values of
property. Whether or not a locality is
desirable in which to live has a greater
influence upon the property in residence
portions of cities than any other ele-
ment. D~esirability depends largely upon
the inhabitants. Hundreds of illustra-
tions Of this fact can be found in all the
larger cities. where values in property
have been deprecated because, one by
one, the buildings have been captured
by people who were not desirable neigh
bors, and whose notoriety decent people
would not share by ever living in the
same block. GNor does the wealth Of a
few occupants give value to a locality
as a place of residence, but the charac-
ter, stability, thrift and intelligence Of
the community. Values in residence
property in this city are best sustained
or are appreciating in those parts where
the occupants insist upon having what
| are known as good neighbors." 1t may
| be laid down as a general principle that
| anything in a locality which tends to
make it undesirable as a residence for
intelligent and decent people makes war
upon its value as property.
nj SO in counties; those which have
intelligent and industrious people are
those in which property will be the most
valuable. With the best of land, no
progress will be made by a people who
have neither thrift nor ambition, but do
as little labor as will enable them to
exist. Incidence is to them the state Of
bliss. The mandate which gave Adam
an opportunity to make something of
himself, namely, to eat his bread in the
sweat of his face. they regard as a PEN
atty to be shirked, and eat as little bread
as possible. Such sloth and unthrift are
so contagious that in two or three gen.
erations they bring whole communities
into a condition in which only lawless-
ness thrives. They are worthless COM
munities- The more industrious. thrifty
and intelligent the community. the more
property it will have to be taxed. 1t is
upon this theory that education creates
a desire for more things and a purpose
to get them that a State tar for support
| Of the public schools can be defended.