The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-09

glve exact figures and have a concrete
example. 1t will be necessary to take
typical farm In scme portion Of the
central west and apply the two plans
TO that farm. AS the figures are at
hand. the writer, selects an average
farm IN the corn belt OF Illinois
There b 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
1t viii be used. Tho 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 1ust what the effect will be upon
his farm.
The assessed valuation Of an aver
age $50 acre farm tn the corn belt OF
Illinois Is about $4,000. Suppose the
township. OF which this Is q part, has
an assessed valuation Of, say. $780,
600 and is out Of debt BY the old
levy for ten years Of 60 cents on one
hundred dollars. This will produce
$500 per year. and In ten years will
total $4,000. This money spent un-
der average local conditions means
that about half Of 1t will be wasted.
and tie hrm in question will have to
pay each year sixty cents on thirty
hundred dollars or $500 per year.
The net result OF this expenditure
viii be he paying out Of $50, 900 du-
ring ten years. and probably will pro-
duce not much over $4,000 worth Of
roads at what they ought to cost.
Suppose the new plan is adopted, by
Issuing bonds to the full constitutional
limit Of per cent. paying the same
on IN fnetallments spread over TWEEN
ty years. and letting the next genera
ton. who win use the roads, help to
pay for them. The bond limit on the
township IN question Is $4,000. OF
which exactly $4,000 rests upon the
farm IN question, to be paid OF one
twentieth each year. or $3.50 on ac-
count Of principal each year for
twenty years Interest OF course win
be paid annually, but will decrease as
the bonds are paid Of The first years
interest viii be per cent on $4,000,
or $3.50 Add $3.50 ON account of
principal. and the first>year's payment
on this f2rm for good roads is $500.
The tenth year one-half OF the bonds
VIII be paid OF. and the interest will
drop to sS-75. so that that year the
tax VIM be SLIPS. The last years
payment UNI be $3.50 on account Of
principal and 3s 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 general contract. than
$4,000 spent in ten years on a patch
work plan. and the cost to the tax
payer vtl1 be considerably less as
well.
Now. !et US suppose that Illinois
had, as II surely needs. an upto-date
state cid Law. whereby one-half the
amount required for building perma.
nent roads should be paid from q
state tAx levy. II this condition OBJ
tatned. then the township In question
could after raising $4,000, draw $50.
600 more 6um the state. and expend
$4,000 upon highways In their town,
ship In Illinois less than one-thiri
the prUporty Of the state is represent.
ed By farmA 50 the state tar will be
spread over an tmmeasurabfy greater
amount Of property. A tax of ten
oe1ts On one hundred dollars for the
state. Win produce nearly $500. 900 q
year. and the state aid tax upon the
farm m question VIII be $500 per year
In orGsr to raise the second sac, 900.
This Stahe tax would add $500 to the
tax hu OF the farm In question, so the
maximum amount per year. II 100000
were expended upon the roeds OF the
township would be $500 per year
hess SAao IL cents per acre per year
and ta6e Il for series OF years, any.
onS voo cnn figure at all. will see that
the oo2 to that community, spread
ove' sestea OF years. Will be even
less umder tie bond contract plan, and
that they can get, by the new plan.
about 0ree times 10 much road as
they would upon the old In handling
road building In this big way, It win
gfvo en early and practical solution Of
the good roads problem. vastly better
and moro ehective than TO pass the
nat ge< up an entertainment and
wear ooeseH out 70 raise the money
10 onfA little htt Of road.