St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-03-20

DIVISION AM ACADIA.

H M III E0A& NAAN @NS@ RaZ - -
the d~iyislonists is that the PARISH Of
Acadia, formed Of a portion Of st.
Landry il 1886, has builded magnii-
Gently without d raise Of taxation.
til The very next breath they tell
YOU that the parish has increased in
assessment since division from one
and j half millions to seven and 2
half millions, and that the price Of
lands has increased from Sl.50before
division to $40 and $75 since division.
But the rate Of taxation has not
increased they tell you!
The fact of the matter is that the
constitutional limit IS ten mills on the
dollar, and when it is desired to raise
more money for governmental main-
tenance, it not being lawful to raise
the rate Of taxation, the only manner
III which increased revenues may be
brought into the ~exehequer Of the
parish IS to raise the assessment.
And this is what Acadia has done,
according to the admission Of the
d~ivisionists.
Now who does a raise in value Of
land benefit?
Surely not the man with the little
farm The native Of that section
who has depended on his few acres
ID produce d living for himself,
his wife and children. The only ef-
feet it has on this poor man is to in
crease lis taxes and make It impos-
sible for him or his children to pur-
chase any additional land. He does
not want to sell, because he has lived
there all Of his life; he knows no 9TH
eli place, he wants to know no other
His father lived there before him on
tie modest little farm, his father and
4HT W&ENR EMs
mother perhaps died in the very same
unpretentious house in which he and
family now live.
No, il benefits the rich man who
has land for sale, mel who are not
residents of that section, many Of
them not residents Of the State
foreign corporations. It will benefit
and further enrich DR.. John A. Haas,
Mr. Samuel Haas, the Pacific Improve
ment CO., the CrowelLSpencer Co.
MI. &. G. Duson, and others who own
the bulk Of the Mamou lands and
lands ii other sections Of the new
parish.
The lands of these gentlemen viii
soar up ii value, perhaps, and they
will sell them at fancy prices, in case
Of the division Of the parish. The
land of the small farmer, the laborine
classes, adjoining these lands, or per.
hapa throughout The territory Of the
parish, will advance in price with
those Of the large land owners. Bui
these lands Of the poor man will moi
produce more cotton, or more any.
thing else. They will have the SAME
productive value at SIS an acre thai
they had at $4.
But look at the increase in taxes
The lands in The two Mamousa are nov
scheduled by the Police Jury at 81
(open land) Der acre; Chataignier SIS
Beliar Cove 81, vile Platte SIS, Blue
Cove S6, Faquetaique SIS. Let ii
say they average So an acre. Sup.
pose they increase to the minimum
Of Acadia. according to the division.
lists, which in $40. Let's see the re-
suit
We will take q 40-acre farm at Ss
an acre; the land is now assessed d
$3.50. Let d say $500 improvements
makingthe total on the 40-acre farm
and improvements $500. The taxet
on this farm now are. State ST., par
ish $3.50, total $3.50.
If the lands increase to $40 al
acre, d the d~iyisionists say they have
inAcadia they say from $40 to S75l
this same farm will be assessed a
$500. and the taxes climb up from
$3.50 to $ll. 20!-Sta tax 81, par
iab $40, total S1l.2o.
But the d~ivisionists mistake Wher
they say that the full Constitutions
limit Of ten mills has been reached
ii this parish. The fact Of the mat.
ter is that the police jury recently
reduced the milEage from ten mills tc
nine mills. and this reduction vii
take effect the coming year.