The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-20
FARMERS OF LAuRENs.
Do Not Like the Idea of Having Fer
tIIizers Taxed.

Dublin, Ga, May 19.-Yesterday quite a
number of farmers of Laurens county
met in mass meeting at the Court House
and condemned the action of Controller
General W. A. Wright in ordering the
tax receivers of the state to require fer
tiliZers used on farms to be returned for
taxation. The mass meeting was held i'm
mediately after a meeting of the Laurens
County Cotton Growers Association, and
vas presided over by Mr.. j. NJ. Finn.
cashier of the Dublin Banking Company.
Representative l.. Q. Stubs addressed
the meeting, and stated that it was not
the intention of the Legislature to require
farmers to return for taxation the fer
tilizers held by them for use on THAR
farms and advised them to refuse to pay
taxes on guano. Representative Stubs
told the farmers that Controller General
Wright was evidently sincere in believ-
ing that this class of property was tlxa-
Die, but in his opinion he was placing
wrong construction on the tax act After
condemning the action of the controller
general committee OF five was APP
pointed to raise funds with which to make
test of the matter. 1t is the purpose of
the farmers for ono Of them 10 refuse
to give in the fertilizers held on hand by
him on March 10. last, and if the tax
receiver refuses to accept his returns to
ask the court for mandamus compelling
him to accept the returns as made out
and presented. Tax Receiver j. N.
Adams, acting under the instructions of
the controller general has been refusing
TO accept returns from farmers unless
they specified what amount Of fertilizers
they had on hand on March Is, last He
even goes far a. 70 "a
give in all the fertilizers they had used
prior to March Is, holding to the position
That even II it had actually been placed
IN the ground it is property, and should
be taxed. Mr.. w. J Joiner was selected
to make test of the matter, and he is
now getting legal advice us TO his course.
The farmers are worked up over the mat
ter, and state that they expec- to make
it warm for somebody, politically, even
II they loose their suit and have to pay
the tax.
While in mass meeting the farmers also
discssed the action of State Treasurer
Park In refusing to honor the Governors
draft on the public property fund, every
one present taking the position that the
Treasurer is right in refusing to pay out
this money. There is no doubt that the
Treasurer has greatly strengthened him
self in Laurens county by the stand he
has taken.
DR.. Benjamin F. Stanley who died FRI
day night of Brights disease al his home
in this county, will he buried to-day at
the Stanley burial ground about twelve
miles from Dublin. Dr. Stanley was 81
years of age and was one of the most
prominent men i'm the county. He at
tended college at Thedford. Vermont, and
after graduating took a course in medi-
cine at the Augusta Medical College. Dur
ing the past fifteen years he has not
practiced medicine but was engaged in
farming. He has large family connec-
ton in this county. He leaves a wife
and three children. His children are
Mrs. DR.. r. S. Mccarthy of Gordon; Mrs.
DR.. j. H. Duggan of Wilkinson county,
and Mr.. Robin M Stanley OF Laurens
county. DR.. Stanley was a surgeon in the
Confederate army.