The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-10-14

The lead companies pay taxes on
a 40 per cent valuation or s., 100, $50,
The actual value, OH this basis, Of
the lead companies, land, plants and
all, In this county would be about
SIP, 800, 200.
The farmers Of the county pay
taxes on 400 valuation, or about
81 ,000, 900, AT the most not to exceed
81 800, 900, or an actual valuation of
s., jO0, 200 to S3,OO0,00O.
BY this ii will be seen that the
farmers are paying about 100 of the
whole burden of taxation, while the
lead companies are paying approXi-
mately 800 of the whole burden Of
taxation. The ratio between the
lead company and the farmer is then
about D to /. AS II general PROPOSE
ton this looks fair enough to the
farmer, but let's see about IL.
Comparison of Values.
AS Il fundamental fact, the value
of an acre Of land depends upon
what that acre Of land will produce,
whether the product is corn or lead
with this as n basis, the following
comparison between farm and lead
lands, with conclusions as to pre-
sent taxation, may be made
ola MN
acres of land actually farmed In ST.
Francois County. Merely as n
basis of comparison it may be AS
sumed that this land viii produce
crops worth, on the average, $40 per
acre, or total for the county OF S.
OOO, 900.
The land held by the lead com
Ipanies as mineral-bearing In st.
Francois County amounts to IL ,747
acres. II the lead output OF the
county be placed ut l0,G00,G coo an
nually, which is approximately cor
rect, the average earning per acre
on the above acreage is about $50.
Second: The 100000 acres of farm
land have an assessed valuation OF
u 900, 900, or $40 per acre, with an
annual earning power, as shown
just above, of $40 per acre.
The 4l,747 acres of lead lands
have an assessed valuation of So.
100, $50, or about Sl2j per acre, with
an earning power of about $50 pei
acre.
Therefore:
The value of the mining land
Sl2j per acre, is to the value OF tn,
farming land, SO per acre, ms tn,
earning power OF the mining land
$3.50 per acre, is to the earning power
Of the farm land, $40 per acre.
BY this simple equation 1t Il
proved that the lead companies ant
the farmer are equally taxed, anC
what need is there to say anything
more about it?
Just this-and here is the very
sore spot with the owners of mincra
lands throughout the United States
Not more than 3 per cent of tn,
land held ms mineral land in st
Francois County is actually con
ccrned in the production of the S2.t
per acre which is stretched to cove
the entire acreage. The other o,
per cent of the mineral land Is idle
In other words, st. Francui,
county has | 200 acres which ar,
producing $40, 10000 worth of lcnC
every year. This estimate OF | 20,
acres will include ground already
mined, now being mined, ground or
which are located mills ami build
ings, and rights-of-ways of railroad,
engaged In transporting ore.
SO, here Is an area of 200 acre.
turning out product worth approx
imately $4,000 per acre, and W,
have an equation which looks lik,
this: The value of the mining land
Sl2j per acre, Is to the value of tn,
farming land, $40, as the earnin,
power of the mining land, SIC, 900 pc
acre, is to the earning power of tn,
farm land, $40 per acre, which won
do at all, by about $3.50, and all or
one acre of ground.
"Equalizing" the Difference.
The usual reply to this Is that tn,
lead companies equalizc this great
difference by paying taxes on 400
acres of land from which they dc
not receive one cent OF profit, So
that, after all, taxation in st. Fran.
co.'s county is ON an absolutely fair
basis all round.
But, as mn indisputable matter OF
fact, these 10000 acres of idle land
ought to be assessed at IA far higher
total valuation than the loo acres
which are producing the $40 900, 900
worth of lead every year. When
ever this is done st. Francois coun-
ty will begin to realize something on