The true Democrat., 1912-10-12
THE FARMER AND HIS TAXES.
Reform Amendment Benefits Him
Most Because he has Suffered
Most from Present Tax System.
By F., r. NOISE

TAX reform because they have suffer
ed most from the Inequalities ant
abuses Of the present system, whicl
has made Louisiana a paradise fo
taX-dodging corporations and othe
concerns that can conceal theil
| wealth or the true value of theil
property. The farmer cannot con
ceal his property. He is therefore
taxed on it all, whether assessments
III his parish be high or low. The
present inequality between one maI
and another in the same parish
Which in some cases has resulted on
| one man paying twice the taxes OF
another on property of the same val
ue, will be wiped out by the prOv;s-
Ions OF the amendment. The situa-
ton created by the tax reform amerd
Elent is admirable from the point Of
view of the farmer, both personally
and as the beneficiary of the serVice IS
performed by the parish and state
governments. These assertions are
easily proved from the facts without
any complicated argument.
Most Of the parishes levy the full
10 mills permitted by the constitu-
ton. The state tax, once six mills,
IS now five mills. The good roads
TAX is one-quarter mill and the Con-
lederate pensions fund is One-fitth
mill. AS the other special taxes
are not in any way affected by the
LAX reform amendment, they need
lot be considered. The farmer is,
therefore, paying total in taxes af-
1ected by the amendment of Is 9-2O
mills. This is, of course, less in the
parishes that levy less than 10 mills.
The new tax for the Confederate
pensions fund raises their tax from
to whole mill. There is
not the slightest doubt in the mind
or any reasonable person that Lou
lslana will vote this one mill tax for
the old soldiers. 1t is, therefore.
certain that if the tax reform amend
ment be defeated and the Confeder-
ate pensions tax added to the farm
ers, present taxes, he will pay No of |
mill more. That will make a total
OF 16 500 mills, or 16 ia mills.
1t is, therefore, plainly evident
that l6 IA mills will be the farm
9rs' taxes, not considering the spec
al parish taxes for roads and schools
tic.
The tax reform amendment per
nits the parishes to levy their 10
Mills and the full six mills state tax
or their own benefit. The parishes
ire, therefore, allowed to levy 16
Mills for their own purposes. In the
parishes that do not levy the full 10
nils today, it will probably not be
eVled in the future. But the differ
nee of quarter of a mill remains
he same and by the adoption of the
Ak reform amendment the farmers
ave it for their own pocket books.
The roads and schools are better
AIKEN care of than they are to-day.
his is easily proved.
The tax reform amendment gives
he roads $150,0OO a year from the
tate directly and another 100000
'om the special automobile tax.
lalf the automobile tax will be spent
n the roads by the state govern
lent and the parishes get the 9th
half and are directed to spend it {
the same way. All the special {
Dad taxes in the parishes Except
le state tax of Id mill mentioned :,
oove) remain the same. They will !,
Z collected as at present on the f
'operty taken for state taxation q
i'd may be voted and levied on all +,
'operty, just as they are now, in q
e future. It is thus evident that q
e roads will be better taken care n
than they are today. /,
The schools are guaranteed ST. f
10000 as a minimum yearly appro- a
'lation from the state. This amount a
the same as provided in the ap- a
opriation bill passed by the last
ssion Of the legislature, but under i.
e present tax system it will prob f,
'ly be less as assessments in the W
erflOwed sections will be lowered. D
is five per cent more than the Il
0ney the schools actually got last il
ar. Yet the tax reform amend u
ent guarantees it as the minimum Ii
i'd the estimate of what the schools q
III get under the new system is d
100000 year. None of the spec W
school taxes are affected. They S,
IL be levied as at present and may G.
voted in the future on all prop Il