The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-20
lithe-Paying Is
lmpOverishment

Editor Tribunc:-Some days ago /
wrote letter TO your paper wherein
| pointed cut how the tithiug AK had
put Mormon merchants to 4 9isadvaD'
tago IN their competition with Gcu-
tiles. especially in Salt Lake City, and
how, as result, tho bulk of the bust
ness of Salt Lake City had passed into
Gentle hands.
Now let us see what the tith;ne tax
has done for the farmers ii Salt Lake
county. Taken all in all, the rural peo
pie arc better tithcpaycrs than city
people, Priesthood mathematics. by
which 1t IS demonstrated that the pock.
clDook contains more money after
tithing is paid than before, sccms to
have obtained better foothold in the
farming districts than in educational
ccntcrs. The farmer ordinarily pays
his tithnG on SO many things and in
so many ways that, priesthood math-
cmatics 10 the contrary notwithstand-
ing, his total contributions are. in
many instances, closer 10 twenty per
cent than TO ten per cent of bis total
income. The farmer pays tltbing, pays
contributions 10 keep up his meeting
house, pays contributions 10 various
church organizations. contributes 10
mission funds, and in some instances
maintains son or relative in the mis-
sion field. OF Conrse every farmer
The average tithing tax of the farmer
IS considerably over ten per cent,
Many, Utah farmers, especially in
This valley, have small holdings. The
income Is not large, Now, if there is
any business that requires the appli.
cation Of surplus profit TO IFS welfare.
thaG business is farming. With ordi.
nary G;ropss, excepting from considera
tlon alfalfa. and few other fcrtiIiZ-
ing crops, land tends TO exhaustion.
Surplus capital must be devoted TO re.
newAl of the soil. Unless soil is re.
moved by manuring or by the planting
Of icrtiliZinC crop (Which is pcncr.
ally unprolitable) il becomes poorer and
poorer until finally it reaches the stage
Of no returns. With the majority Of
small farmers Of Utah fhc tifbinp lax
has for year after year been lepriviug
the farmer Of the surplus that should
be, and which except for the tithing
would be, devoted 10 the Improvement
of his soil
Remember that after the small farm.
cr has paid al the expenses Of the cul-
tivatlon and harvest Of his crop, water
assessments. living expenses. titbing
and manifold church obligations. he
has nothing left for Improvement Of
ms farm or for education Of children.
In reckoning the sum upon which tirh
ing. is TO be levied no allowance is
made for the necessity Of renewing the
soil. Nor is any allowance made for
education OF children or enjoyment Of
life
Look at the results. The small
farms of this valley arc in u sad state
of repair Look at the apple orchards
Tor instance. The ten per cent paid TO
the greedy hierarchy, If devoted TO
fPnn 1Nstf,, 1 1
make Salt Lake county the banner ap.
pie grove Of the west. AS it is, ! doubt
# good, sound apple can be found in
the county. For years many of the
small farmers have failed TO spray or
care for their apple trees. The trees
are infected with moth and yermiu
and scale. The apples are all wormv
II is Of little use for one orchard to
spray unless all spray. If the orchard
moths and scale. | cannot save my
trees from moths and scale | have
talked with many of the poor small
farmers and | find that they are poor
and discouraged, and have no means
TO improve their premises. TO educate
children, or to enjoy life. The tithing
tax. year after year. eats into their
necessities and devours their ambitions
and hopes These poor, prest.riddcn
Still the tithing tax grinds them TO
the earth, taking bread out Of their
months, robbing children of education
dcpriving the soil of fertility. aud kill
ing hopes and imbitions, all 10 the end
that chosen few may gloat over gold
and live in luxury.
As result many Of the small farms
Of Utah and many farms in this valley
are in the same state as regards i'm
provcments and worse OF as regards
fertility than they were in 1850. Ore
travelling through the farms of this
valley can pick out the farms of the
tithe-payer at a glance. That tithing
tax levied year after year shows lis
effects in the impoverishment of TIE
premises.
And after all is said and done. what
is the rcmedvl An appeal to Caesar is
without avail As well might one ap.
peal TO the winter winds for warmth
and comfort as TO appeal to the cruel
bigotry and fanaticism of the hierar
chy for Justice.
The ruling powers of the Mormon
church have from the beginning striv.