Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-10
Farmers Oppose Themselves.

family.
Farmers Oppose Themselves.
"The plan Of state aid. which has been
generally adopted throughout the coun-
try" continued Mr. Gross. lis to have
portion of the cost of bodybuilding paid
from a general tax levy on all the prop
aid came only after mighty effort, dur
ing which feeling ran high. The farmers
generally opposed the plan. Had they not
had experience in paying road taxes and
did they not know what it meant? They
had failed to take into account the fact
that farm property, which had hitherto
borne all the burden. was comparatively
small portion of all the property of the
state, and that under the proposed plan
really more money could be expended
upon highways with less burden OF taxa
ton upon them than before.
After some roads had been built and
used-and paid for-the plan became bet
ter understood and it grew in public
favor. In two or three years opposition
practically ceased and those who had
most vigorously opposed state aid came
out openly in its favor. The plan was so
successful that it soon spread to other
states, until now all the states east of the
Alleghenies build their roads after this
plan, beginning in small way. but IN
creasing by leaps and bounds. Pennsyl-
VI
$3.50 900 for the first year and is now ex-
pending 81, 100000. New York began with
$4,000 and in five years. by popular vote,
carried a constitutional amendment au-
tho-izing the issue of $4,000, 900 bonds for
state aid After building roads on the old
plan for forty years. Ohio now abandons
it and takes up state aid. while Kentucky
Is taking steps for a constitutional amend
ment to permit the passage Of state aid
law. And so state after state is coming
into line.
How State Aid Works.
TT would be interesting to note the
application of state aid to Illinois con-
ditions For the purpose let US take as
a unit a. 160-acre farm in the corn belt.
The assessed valuation of such farm
ranges from $1,000 to $1,000, with an
average of about $1,000; thus we have a
unit The assessed valuation Of all the
property of the state is $3.50 ,0Oo.U0 OF
which less than $40O.O00,O00 Us farm
property. In fact, Cook county pays
over 40 per cent Of all state taxes. Let
been adopted by New York and Penn
sylvania, VIZ, the state to pay one-half
of the expense, and let us see Gnat the
result would be on taxation:
III a vigorous road building campaign
were started, one Of such magnitude as.
would result in the expenditure within
ten years Of $50, 0Oo. 900 upon the high
ways Of the state it would be sufficient
to build from 10000 to $4,000 miles of
hard roads. which. added to the 1900
now built, would leave one-thfrd OF all
the highways Of the state permanently
improved. and would cover all the main
'aThe raising Of $5o.Ooo.O00 i'll ten
years at the rate Of 100000 per year.
one-half to be paid by the state and the
other half by local bond issues. would
require a state tax levy of two mills,
and this tax on the farm would be ex-
actly - per year. or $40 for the ten
year period;, such an assessment would
this sum the farm would contribute $40.
one single corporation In Chicago would
have to pay in 100000. and another
$4,000. while the railroads would be
Let us suppose the township in which
the farm Is located issues bonds for
road building to the full constitutional
limit at the highest rate Of interest
that tho law permits. viz, per cent
'"rhe maximum. amount Of bonds resting
upon the farm in question would be ex-
actly 500, payable at the rate Of SO per
year, with interest. During the ten years
the owner Of the farm would be called
to pa Adne te .hs OF the se
state aid makes q total OF $167.5O: and
this would be the maximum tax upon the
farm in question. even II the state and
the several townships composing 1t should
70 to the limit and expend $1,000 600
upon the state highways.
Taxation Hardly Felt.
..It will be observed that this is but 1O1k
cents per acre per year. In view of the
fact that these farm lands rent readily
for IS or s. per acre, the burden of tax
alton would hardly be felt In fact, the
building Of good roads would make the
farms reached by them so much more de-
sirable to the tenants that they would
gladly pay an increase in rent OF two or
three times the amount Of the tax. The
proper expenditure Of the sum named
would cover the main highways with
stone or gravel from Galena to Cairo.
and form q complete network of good
roads-good every day in the year-and
the building of these roads alone would
add to the value Of the better grade of