New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-08-13
IN THE WORLDS EYE.

1t would be impossible and per-
haps undesirable to have every
body Of the same mind with regard
to any public question that may
arise; hence more or less opp0sI-
ton to the proposed Panama Tax
may be expected. 1t is not out
Of place to remark III this CGnnec-
ton, that # there were any ques-
ton in support Of which without
violation Of any principle, every
ax-apycr in the State might cord
ally unite that question would
seem to be the Panama Exposition
! Amendment.
As the Amendment was orig nal
| ~ passed. there was some com
plant that the proportion OF the
AK to be pad by the country was
900 great, but III response to that
bJect, Il special session OF the Leg
lSlatur, VIII meet on the fifteenth
inst, to reduce the amount asked
ipr from country taxpayers and
to increase the amount eXacted OF
New Orleans. The ratio under the
new arrangement Will be one NIL
lion dollars from the country tax
payer, and SIX and a hall Millions
rom he New Orleans taxpayers.
he amount on the country tax
payers being only thlrty-seNen
and a half cents on a thousand dol
lars assessment.
Small as that tax may be, it
must be admitted that it is too
large were it to be devoted to an
improper purpose; hence the sup
port of the tax should be based
upon the value it will be to the
taxpayers, rather than the com
parative ms gnifrance Of the bur
den. Admitting that the tax will
be small, still the payment OF the
small tax cannot be defended I'M
less such tax be necessary to the
support of public government, or
% bring profit to the taxpayers.
The great fortunes amasSed IN
modern times, have been acquired
in two ways chiefly, to-wit. by
consolidation and by advert sing. |
The great PRODUCTIONS trusts have
been built up by following the
principle of addition, division
and silence" silence being OF the |
essense Of their success Pub |
licity is the deadly foe Ct such |
interests that may have covert de
signs upon the people, but t IS the
breath Of life to Legitimate enter
prises, and mi ghty fortunes have |
been built by men who, having
something that is meritoriGus. |
have had the good sense and the |
course to lot the public know OF |
their merit.
This leads directly to the crux |
of the question concerning this |
tax of 81 - cents per thousand
dollars OF assessment, asked of the |
country taxpayers in support of
the Exposition. Louisiana, her
interest and her industries. are in
the public eye today and general
attention is focused upon them as
a direct result Of the publicity be
ing given then in the fight to OBJ
tain the location of a great in
ternational Exposition in New Or |
leans. With no such magnet to |
drew the attention of the people |
of this and other countries this
way, the most effective advertis-
ing that Louisiana is now obtain
ing could not be secured even were
the State willing to pay several
times as much in case as the who.e !
of the tax ON city and
country would be.
Does anyone ask what good al.
this publicity will bring to the
small taxpayer? The answer is,
it will bring to him exactly the
same sort of good that effective
advertising has brought to all men
who have had something worth
while, and who had the nerve to
let the people know about It
through the medium of advertis-
ng, But" it is objected He
had nothing but his small farm,
md the publicity that will increase
The value of that, will only add
o his burden by increasing the tax
he must pay. on the increased
value, without increasing the rev.
,nue he derives from it. The
answer to that objection will be
'ound in the answer to the ques-
ion; does he produce anything
hat somebody else may want? If
20, the publicity that this EXPOSE
ion will give to it, and the in .
.reased demand it will create,
will enhance the profits derived
rom whatever it may be that one
nay have to sell.
If the thing produced be farm,
pasture, poultry or dairy
the demand for them
Will be increased in proportion to
he number of consumers the EX-
position will attract, temporarily
nd permanently; and with in
reased demand will come increas-
d prices. If it be but labor,
1hether skilled or unskilled, the .