The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-28

chsilaHse Thre~n ou'
Tie Messenger icday Is doing the
Unusual fhinF l. printing colnmuni
csiirn 10 tho editor In iis editorial
columns. such a coarse b. lueutcd
because 81 tlc Importance 81 the sub
ieci treated hy the correspondent II
Is A subject that interests ever, m'n.
az should Interest every man Nho
has a true interest In the state al
Vermont and earnestly desires that
this commonwealth come into the To-
ture that awaits IL II Il VIII be con
tent 10 follow a course OF justice.
The letter reads as follows:
To the Editor OF The Messenger;
suppose an honest farmer has
worked faithfully and lived economi-
cally through the year. and ate pay
ing for necessary cost OF his iood'
ruel shelter. and ciothins. sud That
M his dependent family. wages OF his
hired help. ERE tbut no iiiel hsor'
ance. such current repairs OF huia
ines and tools A. were necessary TO
tepp his plant in working order, and
the interest on his mortgage debt but
nothing on the principal
"suurose ne then balances up his
accounts and finds he has made
,ront OF ............ n,SiVeo
suppose he Is then com
PEELED to pay out OF this
In taxes ...........-..' i'si''VV
Leaving him for his
years work ......-.--- -ssVo
"suppose his NOR. gage deb, Is such
AN amount that az this rate II would
AXE him ron- hundred and fortyone
wears and three months TO pay u on
without any allowance FOR bad iucN'
losses. or increased expenses or any
consideration of what he had patd for
or nut into the farm over and above
the mortgage debt; or any conside IA
ton of tho cost OF permanent i'm
movements and increased facilities
which the incxorablc march OF pro
gress makes II certain he viii have
TO incur n he IS TO keep his head
above water az all.
Then suppose such an awful thin'
should happen as legislature con
tro,lcd bv the wicked corporation
and other bad business interests am
the members thereof should sa.
among Themselves Behold the farm
ers are in a minority-iet us swa
them good aud plenty Only 0
course they would use In public an
in the newspapers a much more ci'
CANT form OF expression. pc'hap
y adopiiug that used by the Fletcher
excuse us. We mean Montpelier J"u'
nal in speaking Of railroads.: w
let ms compel the farmers 10 pa
rmpthmg approaching thciv IA
rharc at the cost of maintaining u
state COVE rnment'
and accordingly the leEisia'u'
ehould So change The law that "
Farmer inrtcad of paving only fl"'
,axrs out Of the $3.50 that rePr
scuicd his years hard earning
would have 10 pay $346 more-th7
leaving him more IN debt az the 81
. Of the year than he was at the Deg
nmc
"Suppose an average merchant .
sross sales amounting 90 $2O.uoV
wear. III he is fairly capable AND s
cessful. and has to pay interest
, only n moderate amount of borrow
canital. he can clear just about I
same as the farmer mentioned aoo
US Say $3.50 net profit, with no all
ance for reducing the principal OF
axe dent or his own work and living
penses. out Of this he would n
we'd nav anywhere from $50 90 $50 IN I
sht es-in very rare instances. II ever
'ers much as slo0--depending upon 10
ton and many other circumstanc
WE This. OF course, assumes that
~. rents his store.
Then suppose legislature sho
find that merchants were not
~ strongly represented in IL. and all
ihi other interests being selfish rat
Al than lust. of course. the memt
should wink at each othet and
,.,, This is the session for the n
Use. oban. G. ia cot theirS--ahemi tnat
wv" ~ Is time to compel the mcrcha
to pay something approaching {
inst share" etc. etc.
And suppose thereupon
should pass law that merch'
.EET mus, pay four per cent on their 9
sales-so that the merchant men'
c,x cd above would be taxed $500, o
III least ten times as much as the 7
emit average.
Now would these things be
fair equitable, ethical, or good p'
policyg
lis IL not true that n person
n corporation must pay taxes out