Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-03-27
To .he Farmers Of Delaware.


before the commission for a hearing as t.
the taxing of farms and they pointed GU
the fact that our farms are heavily bur
dened with taxes now, and that the,
couldn't stand any more taxes, and the!
as ed that the commission should no
gake the burden any heavier, which t,
my mind was not enough to ask for, al
the farms are now the heaviest taxed
property in our State, l think the mem
bers of the Grange should have asked
that the taxes be reduced instead Of beins
left as at present.
Mr.. Hervey Walker pointed out the
fact that farm land is taxed at the rate Of
$50 per acre, and that if he improves hi.
property the assessor Immediately raises
the assessment.
At a meeting Of the Grange Mr. Walker
pointed out the fact that you could buy a
farm for less than it is assessed for and
that you couldn't stop up knot hole in
your barn without the assessors knows il
and raises your assessment.
Our present system of raising revenue
is very unjust to all as Mr. Walker said,
you cannot stop knot hole in your barn
without being taxed for it, the farmers
are taxed on their land horses, houses,
barns, fences, cows, pigs, dogs, and all
the improvements they make, and if they
happen to keep a stallion for service he
has to have a special license of $40. so. All
these taxes weigh heavy on the farmer.
Now how can We raise the revenue
without taxing the Improvements, the
horses, cattle, pigs or any of these things
which the farmer builds makes, grows, or
breeds. The proposition is very easy.
All we have to do is TO tax the land of our
State according to the value of it, and
exc apt all Improvements from taxation.
lie. the State appoint a commission to
ssess all the land of our State and then
figure up the amount OF revenue the
State will need and set the rate Of tax
that will raise the revenue and tax each
one according to the value of his land.
You can see how much better this
would be for the farmer, when we stop to
consider the value OF farm, we still find
that the house, barn. fences and other
Improvements are very much greater than
the land value.
Now look at the farm as though there
were no house barn felces or improve
ments of any kind upon it, then what
would be the value OF the land. This
value is all that should be taxed, and no
matter how much the farmer improves it
we should not tax him one cent for his
Improvements or anything else which he
has, whether he uses it or not would
make no difference to us and the county
officials can do just the same as the
State. Assess the value Of the land in
the county and set the tax rate and tax
all-the land alike according to the land
value whether the owner is useing it or
not and the town and cities can do just
the same. Let the town and city officials
assess the land of their town or city and
4kuIC up LllG dLAOunl AANNGGeaA " luAA NAAC |
town or city and set the rate of tax and |
charge all alike according to his land |
alue. This would be a great benefit to
taxes from Improvements and en-
courage men to be industrious. This !
would greatly relieve the farmer of the
heavy burden Of taxation which he is |
now paying, for the farmer has plenty of
land, but he has not much land value, .
therefore bis tax would not be very much;
nor should it be, for he gets very little
from the State or county for the taxes he
pays, not even a good road to drive on.
Just think it over. Why should you be
made to pay a tax for building house, a
Darn or anything else? The State or
county 2 les not give them to you, and |
canno ee what harm you have done that
you should be made to pay the State or
county for it. Had you not built they
would not have needed the money, at
least they would not have taxed you, and
it is improvements we want, the more we
want, the more we have of them the bet
ter, and we should encourage them in
place of discouraging men by taxing them
for making Improvements.
Think this matter over and you will see
how you would be benefited by being ex-
empt from taxes on your Improvements,
and just paying according to the value of
your land.
Let the State officials assess all the land
in the State including the cities, towns
and rural districts, now after they have
done this we will suppose the land of the
entire State to be worth eighty million
dollars. Now suppose the State needs
$500, 900 to run the State, if we tax the
land one half of one per cent we will
not need to tax any Improvements. Now
suppose yonr land is worth $1,000 per
acre, your State tax would be cents per
acre, another man has farm of which
the land is worth $4,000 per acre, his tax
would be 10 cents per acre, another mans
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