The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-07-18
THE FARMER AND HIS TAXES
Edgar L Vincent, in The Gentleman
Farmer.


Farmer.
Some things of difficult nature the
farmer may for the time being put away
out of sight, and take up at some more
convenient season. One problem he
must face from years end to years
end, that of taxation. It is ever pres
ent with him. He looks forward to it
with foreboding and always with the
feeling that in some way he is being
unjustly dealt with. AS time goes on
the question becomes more and more
serious Not only are the visits of the
tax gatherer more frequent, but the
demands made by him become more
and more burdensome. New officers
are created every year, calling for new
outlay OF money. Not only that; those
who are filling offices already in
existence demand larger salaries.
Hardly are they once warmed in their
chairs before they begin to scheme for
more pay. New and costly public
buildings must be built, and old ones
enlarged and made more luxurisus.
Mos of the public buildings of this
country are perfect palaces, beautiful,
commodlous, elegant in all their ep-
pointments.
Now, all this is pleasant to think of
in a way. We all admire beauty in
architecture. One feeling that these
buildings belong to our country, our
town, our capital city, our nation. is
one which inspires in every heart
certain sense OF. pride. We like to think
that Jour land is in no degree behind
any other country in the splendor OF
it's public buildings, and we do not
want one of our officials to be in need
Of any good thing while serving US in
public capacity. Our pride is that
we care for those whom we have chosen
to honor as we'll as any nation under
the sun. We also take pleasure in
pointing to the way in which we care
for the unfortunate Door and insane
and for the orphan and the old soldier.
Some of the institutions devoted to
charitable purposes are fairly gorgeous
in their equipments and their inmates
are maintained at an expense fer ex-
ceeding that attending the living Of
the ordinary man.
While our expenses have thus been
piling up and are still growing greater,
has our ability to pay become proper
tionately large9 And here we stumble
upon the first real difficulty. While
the wealth Of this county is rapidly
increasing the taxable property has
not and will not Keep pace with the de-
mands upon it. More and more severe
bccome the burdens Of taxation; more
and more serious grows the problem
how these burdens are to be borne, and
more and more uncertain seems the
future. ALI over this country legisla
tive bodies are studying upon methods
of tax alton; but of the hundreds and
hundreds of plans proposed, not one
looks toward the tightening Of the bur
den; but rather toward the Tightening
of the coils, so that no one may by any
possible chance escape; and the most
disheartening part Of it all is that the
more stringent the laws become the
more terrible are their results upon the
farmer. Whoever escapes, he cannot
Others may hide their property; his is
open to the day. Thirty years ago an
old lady kept cozy inn on the road
from York to Scarborough. This house
she called THE Four Alls;" and when
asked to explain the meaning of this
strange sign, she said: The Queen
governs all; the parson prays for all;
the soldier fights for all and the farmer
pays for ALL" The farmer pays for all.
words, yet as true as sig
nificant.
1t is highly interesting to note the
effect in the various States Of the ex-
periments made in taxation. Without
taking time TO make a careful study Of
the conditions every where, it may be
profitable to look at two or three indi
vidual cases. One might suppose that
in the old State OF Massachusetts, the
tax laws would by this time have
reached a state of comparative pertec
tion. Whether this is 80 or not may
be determined by the fact that among
the distinguished petitioners asking
for the repeal of the present law gov
erning the taxation of mortgages in
that State are two professors Of politi
cal economy, one chairman of the Bos-
ton assessors who has served a quarter
of a century, the present tax commits
sioner, the head OF the State tax depart
ment and scores of local rssessors. The
- Man Vnnskr