The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-07-15
THE TAG TAX.

THE TAG TAX.
The bill which was passed by the
lower house of the legislature
to increase the fertilizer tag tax
from ten to twenty-five cents for
the benefit of the state agriculture
schools has been adversely reported
by the agricultural committee of the
senate, and the prospects of its be-
coming a law are not very bright.
Many prominent farmers, such men
as James NJ Smith of Oglethorpe.
W. L. Peek of ROckdale, Pope
Brown and Fred Wimberly of Pu-
laski and others, went before the
committee and spoke in opposition
to the proposed increased tax, urging
that the farmers of the state would
have it to pay; that it would be a
direct taxation on the farmers, and
would therefore be unjust to them.
With all this weight of evidence
going to show that an increase
in the guanO tax would be but
levying a direct tax on the farm
ers to support these schools we
are at a loss to see why there
should be the least hesitancy upon
the part of the senate in killing
the bill that provides for it, if an at
tempt is made, as it is said there
will be, to pass it over the adverse
report of the committee
The Lexington Echo discusses the
question very clearly and sensibly
1t says:
If the tax is increased and
the farmers made to pay the
whole of it what can the state
claim to be doing for the farm
ing class but forcing it to main
tain their own sChOOls;.or rather
schools that it is claimed to be
established for their benefit. but
which are open to the boys of
any other class of citizens as
we'll? 1t would look almighty
like buncoing the farmers. In
this case the buncoing would be
so apparent that it would be
recognizable by all farmers, and
we doubt not they would have
lots to say in future on the sub
ject
We agree with Col Smith
that if anything is to be done
to the tag tax it should be re-
duced to an amount which
would barely be sufficient to
pay for inspecting and tagging
This inspection is the farmers
protection against having in
feriOr and worthless goods
palmed off on them, and they
are perfectly willing to bear the
cost of it; but when this tax is
made a preteXt to raise funds to
support institutions that are es-
tablished for the benefit of the
state at large an objectionable
injustice is done the farmers,
and one to which they should
not and doubtless will not sub
nit
That these schools are agri-
cultural schools does not mean
that they are of exclusive bene-
fit to the farmers. If they are
instrumental in improving the
agricultural conditions of the
state every interest of the state
will be benefited thereby, and
others just as much as that of
farming. Then the cost of
maintaining them should be dis
tributed among all classes of tax
payers.
In point of fact the farmers
should not be saddled with the
present tag tax. Other interests
of the state are given protection
just as are the farmers in the
guano inspection, but the cost
thereof is paid from the general
tax fund This protection for
the farmers should be provided
for in like manner.
Certainly they should not
have special tax levied upon
them to maintain state institu-
tions of any kind. They already
bear the brunt of the tax bur
den, and to lay special and
specific taxes on them besides
can but be gross injustice to the
backbone and sinew of our state
and country We can't believe
the legislature will be guilty of
such injustice.