Evening star., 1899-03-14
FACTS ABOUT FARMERS
Assistant Secretary Brigham Tells About
Inequitable Taxation.
Get Less From Large Than From
What COnsuIs Might Do.

After The Stars report of the testimony
of Assistant Secretary Brigham of the De
partment of Agriculture before the indus
trial commission was closed yesterday
afternoon. Mr. Brigham continued TO say
that merchandise in Ohio is not returned
for over - per cent of its value, while
farm property is returned for over 40 per
cent. Bank property and the notes and
mortgages of the state are not taxed even
L. per cent of their value. This is simply
because the notes and mortgages cannot
be reached by the assessor.
Mr.. Brigham said that while farm prop
erty does not pay over 2 or 5 per cent the
farmers in Ohio had to pay from 3 to S
per cent for any money they borrow. These
facts result in the farmers borrowing little
or 10 money. Formerly, he said. farmers
were liberal borrowers and instead of pay
ing off their mortgages they invested any
surplus they accumulated in stock or i'm
plements additional farms. Now he
said, any farmer who is prosperous does
not borrow money if there is any way to
prevent doing SO and when they get q
plus they pay off Indebtedness with it. No
farmer, he said. deserving the name of
farmer would borrow money today the
day when they could borrow money and
make a profit out of it having passed. He
said it was not fact in Ohio that farm
property had decreased in value of late
years except in isolated cases.
FARMERS Taxed njustIy.
A farm in Ohio that would rent for $3.50
year would pay more taxes than a city
house renting for $500. Through organi-
zation the farmers of Ohio had been able
to do something toward obtaining an equali-
zation in the matter of taxation. but they
had not secured an equalization vet In
Ohio one railroad pays taxes on an assess
ed value of its road of 500 900. while the
same road paid $4,000 in Indiana He
thought the taxation of railroads should be
equaled in all the states
Effect of Large Crops.
Mr. Brigham said large crops during
series of years had the effect of impover-
ishing the farmer For instance. he said
the farmers got s233 600 900 less for the
four largest crops of corn than they got
for the four shortest crops and $4,000 900
more for the four shortest crops of pota-
toes than for the four largest crops of DO
tatoes- For this reason large crop did
not mean prosperity for the farmers The
bonanza farmers are not diminishing the
profits of the ordinary farmer, but the emf
grant who goes west and farms his wife
and small children working in the field.
does affect the profits of the farmer of
Ohio.
The farmers CT the country. he said. had
organized in the grange of Patrons of Hus-
bandry and in other OrganiZa tions to pro-
tect their financial interests He said the
when it first organized. but it was
working on more careful lines than ever
The organization was becoming stronger
constantly. There are nearly IS, 900 local
grange organizations. and in the last ten
years had taken iuoOU6 members. The
grange had been organized in 1866 in this
city. and in 1878 had become a strong or
ganization- They avoided partisan politics,
but took an active part IN politics. among
other things urging the election of senators
by direct vote of the people.
Mr. Brigham said there no reason
why all the sugar to be used in this coun-
try could not be raised here. If sugar 1e-
mains at 4l2 or cents few years longer
beets will supply the demand. If the Phil
ippines or other possessions supply the
sugar at cents q pound that would make
a different result.
Mr. Brigham said the grange is weak in
the south.
Extension of Foreign Markets.
He said the extension of the foreign
market would help the farmer especially
If Congress would enact a pure food law
to prevent the making of filled cheese &c.
II consuls knew something about agricul-