The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1909-01-21

be just four times too much. So, to
relieve the farmers, we will cut that
half in two by permitting the towns
mentioned to pay one-half of it, then
that would cut it down to $4,000, just
twice too much, or equal to m increase
in your taxes of just one-half of one per
cent. But, to get the thing right down
to actnal cost, we will cut this in two,
which would be just one-fouth of one
per cent, or IA cent tax, or two and
one-half mills on each one dollar as
sessment. This would produce exactly
81, 500, and of this the towns would pay
half, leaving only one-half of the ST. 800
to be paid by the farmers, or only lSth
of one per cent, or fraction over one
mill.
Your farm is valued at $1,000, it is
assessed at $500, so at l-S of one per
cent your tax would be increased eX-
actly siXty-twO and One-half (62 l-2)
cents. These figures are plain, simple
and comprehensive. A little child
can understand these figures,
Now, then, further: Your farm is
five miles from the city. You have
one hundred acres, roads are bad, your
property is worth only $50 an acre, or
$1,000 for the entire farm. Corn is
worth 20 cents bushel, you leave
home with wagon, team and harness
in good fix, you have on eighteen bush
els of corn, weighing 1908 lbs, good
big load for rough and muddy roads.
You leave home at I O'clock, and by
the hardest kind of effort you will ar
rive in town by $50 or 10 o'clock, you
sell your corn and start back home, ar
irving there about | O'clock barring
accidents. But on this rough road you
broke a spoke, loosened a tire, some
part of the harness broke under the
strain, your mule lost shoe, and you
have spent one whole day in dispOsing
of one half load of corn. Your time
and the team is worth on public works
50. so to $3.50 per day. You must de-
duct this from the amount received for
the corn, besides the cost of wear and
tear.
Now, then, on a good road you could
twice as much, and made the trip in
an hour and half. You sell twice as
much corn, and the cost of hauling is
no more, and you had no break-downs.
You get back into your wagon and re-
turn home by dinner. After dinner
you make another trip and return in
time for supper, your team in good fix,
no more tired than if plowing all day,
or not as much, and you have four
times more money than you would
have had had you been able to only
have hauled the half load. Your place
is five miles out, the roads are good,
can make two trips day and take just
four times as much as the fellow who
lives on a bad road. In that case your
farm would be worth at least twice as
much, or four thousand dollars. You
are proud of it.
The assessor on account of the inn
proved value raises your assessment
from $500 to $3.50, just $3.50 more. AT
the increased tax rate of only fraction
over one mill, just a net increase of ,eX-
actly thirty-one and one-quarter (3l IA
cents, and this extra assessment not to
pay the interest but to be a sinking
fund to keep your road in good repair.
Let us ask you, Mr.. Farmer, point
blank: Could you or would you object
to paying SO II cents more in taxes foI
permitting you to haul four times as
much, saving your stock, your time
and making your farm worth twice as
much? These are the facts-plain
cold, hard, truthful facts, Nothing
more.
The bond business you have looked
upon as burden, when in reality it is
a blessing. Bonds are not burdens. i
you don't vote for bonds, you are
standing in your own light, you ART
depriving yourself of lots and lots o
money, and with bad roads you vii
remain forever poor and isolated anc
you and your children deprived of th'
social interests you should have Will
the outside world and confined within
an environment that makes YOU rest
less and dissatisfied, when you shoulc