Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-07-07

CIV CAo(( Ao0AOS 0A4 AoNS
example. it will be necessary to take
a typical farm in some portion OF the
central west. and apply h two plans
to that farm. AS the figures are az
hand, the writer, selects an average
farm in the corn belt OF Illinois.
There is no reason why this farm
should be taken in preference to a
farm in any other state. except that
more complete data is at hand, hence
it will be used. The same plan will
apply with slight variations to other
farms in other states. the owners Of
which. by getting the assessed valua-
ton OF their township and state. can
figure out and ascertain each for him
self just what the effect will be upon
his farm.
The assessed valuation Of an aver
age 100 acre farm in the corn belt Of
Illinois is about $4,000. Suppose the
township. OF which this is a part. has
an assessed valuation OF. say, $780,
600 and is out of debt. BY the old
plan, suppose there is an annual tax
levy for ten years Of 60 cents on one
hundred dollars. This will produce
$500 per year, and in ten years Will
total $50, 1000. This money spent un-
der average local conditions means
that about half OF it will be wasted,
and the farm in question will have to
pay each year sixty cents on thirty
hundred dollars or $500 per year.
The net result of this expenditure
will be the paying out OF $50, 900 du-
ring ten years. and probably Will pro
luce not much over SIS 900 worth OF
-~oI- - --HoA 49, 1919 - ~--A
Suppose the new plan is adopted, by
issuing bonds to the full constitutional
limit Of 5 per cent, paying the same
off In installments spread over TWEEN
ty years. and letting the next genera
ton. who will use the roads. help to
pay for them. The bond limit on the
township in question is 100000, OF
which exactly $4,000 rests upon the
farm in question, to be paid off one
Twentieth each year, or $3.50 On Rc-
count of principal each yea for
twenty years. Interest Of course will
be paid annually, but will decrease as
the bonds are paid off. The first years
interest will be s per cent on $4,000.
or $3.50. Add $3.50 on account OF
principal, and the first years payment
On this farm for good roads Is $500.
The tenth year one-half of the bonds
will be paid off, and the interest will
drop to 1915. SO that that year tho
tax viii be SLIPS. The last years
payment will BIO $3.50 on account OF
principal and 38 cents on account
Of interest, making a total of $7.SS.
Thirty thousand dollars of bond IS
sue will build far more and far bet
ter roads on a general contract, than
$50, 900 spent in ten years on a patch
work plan, and the cost to the tax
payer will be considerably less as
we'll.
Now, let us p that Illinois
had, as 1t surely needs, an ~up-to-date
state aid law, whereby one-half the
amount required for building perma-
nent roads should be paid from a
state tax levy. If this condition OBJ
tanned, then the township in question
could after raising 100000, draw 500.
900 more from the state, and expend
$4,000 upon highways in their town
ship. In Illinois less than One-third
the property Of the state Is represent
ed by farms, sc the state tax will be
spread over an UNNECESSARILY greater
amount of property. A tax OF ten
cents on one hundred dollars for the
state, will produce nearly $2,5OO,OOO a
year, and the state aid tax upon the
farm in question will be $500 per year
in order to raise the second 100000.
This state tax would add $500 to the
tar bill Of the farm IN question, so the
maximum amount per year, If 5000 900
were expended upon the roads Of the
township would be $500 per year
less than II cents per acre per year,
and take it for a series Of years, any
one who can figure at all, Will see that
the cost to that community, spread
over a series Of years, will be even
less under the pond contract plan, and
that they can get, by the new plan,
about three times as much road as
they would upon the old. In handling
road building in this big way, 1t will
give an early and practical solution OF
the good roads problem, vastly better
and more effective than to pass the
hat, get up an entertainment and
wear oneself out to raise the money