The Cairo bulletin., 1908-04-04
ILLINOIS TAXES
ARE NOT HEAVY
ONLY ONE-ELEvENTH OF LOCAL
TAXATION, WHILE STATE ED
CATION AND PRODUCTIVE IN
TERESTS SUFFER.


Springfield April DIR, Eugene
Davenport. head OF the Illinois Col
lege of Agriculture. has made very
interesting study of our tax tgures.
developing some noteworthy compari-
sons, which were given at the Illinois
Farmers Institute in Peoria Here are
a few on his ideas;
The state tax is insignificant and
the bugaboo about any increase IN the
50-cent rate would vanish except for
the political capital made out OF H.
We voluntarily assess ourselves for
local purposes che dollar where we
pay ten cents into the state treasury.
The bulk OF the state expenditures go
for non-productive purposes, Worthy
and necessary as is the care OF the
insane. criminals, detectives, aud the
other dependents, it produces nothing,
and is only protective. The lsofS
appropriations for these purposes
amount to sqG77 600 or IS per cent OF
the total taxes.
/ The only expenditures that VIII
make us stronger and better az PEG,
pie are those that go into the develop
ment of the industries of the state
land the higher education OF the best
people The state appropriation for
these productive purposes-university
normal schools, research and other
developments s3,76O000, or much
less than oue-half that reproductive
purposes.
Davenport Proposes New Plan.
Now | propose a new plan; that
every time we put down a dollar to
care for the defective. dependent. ami
non-produCing classes. We put down
another dollar to develop the state in
the person of its best citizens, its ma
tural resources, and its productive in
tdustries.'
is any other policy safe? VIII any
ICther assure a future and a productive
energy sufficient to bear the burdens
of civilization? In other words, | pro
pose that you put as much into the
Estate university as it costs to care for
the insane $4,696,000; that you put
las much into the normal schools to
train our teachers as the cest OF our
Ipenal institutions, s2,3290o0: and
that you devote as much to research
land encouragement of productive in
Idustries as you put into other depend
ents
If you DO this you will set in mo
ton powerful forces that will operate
ccnstructively for the state, If YOU
do not, you will continue in the pres
ent uncertain state fighting the tide
with teaspoon.
For every dollar we pay for statt
purposes we pay ten dollars for loca
: purposes, and seven dollars for fed
eral purposes.
Why then all this fuss about state
taxes?
Striking Comparisons.
Illinois pays more toward the wa
department than the entire outlay TO
the state; it puts more into the trans
p0rtation of the army than 1t does in
to its own university and all the re
search work Of the state. Our share
ofthe cost of Indian schools is 5000
600 a year, or a good deal more none!
than this state is putting into the de
velopment OF its agriculture. Illinois
is paying nearly twice as much for thu
p support of the Sioux Indians, si5, 600
as for the study of her own sells.
! Our share OF the federal appropria
. ton to the agricultural department a
Washin gton is 100000 or four time
what We appropriate for both the Hi
nois Agricultural College and Expert
ment Station.
+ And yet this station and the inves
tigation of Illinois agriculture are re