Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1914-04-01
Taxpayer" Gives Views.
Editor Potosi Journal:

garding the financial condition
of Washington County, and hav-
ing been reader of its valued
pages for years, also a taxpayer
on real estate and personal prop
erty. l desire to say through the
columns of the Journal, that
there is no question but what we
must meet our obligations as a
county.
The only question remaining
is the way, | suppose. The aver
age tax payer does not care how,
so it hits the other fellow and
toas rot open Ills pocketbuok hy
raising Ills assessment.
This thought was made some
what pronounced in an article by
We editor a few weeks back, in
which he asserts that there is
lots of farm land in Washington
County that is not assessed at
one third of it's cash valHc.
There always has been and al
ways will be more Or less unequal
valuations on land, all things con-
Sidered, but | doubt if there is
enough shortage in these values
to meet the amount required.
| take the article as suggesting
that the farm values be raised to
meet this demand. The poor old
farmer, it is good thing his
shoulders are broad, although
they may be bending under the
heavy weights imposed. Good
natured, he plods along, often
hoping against hope, looking for
the cloud with the silver lining,
but often in vain.
No, the writer does not think
it just TO put this shortage upon
the farm lands, while the money
powers with mortgages and
notes and the holder of town
property go free. Let everybody
justly entitled to be hit bear his
proportional part, and | am sure
every farmer in the county will
saw amen to this, but | do not
know what the town man and the
mortgage and note man will say.
But they had just as well make
up their minds to swallow their
part of the dose. | am not an
advocate of making any one line
of occupation bear the brunt of
the present condition; nor shall
| saddle all the blame of this
condition onto the County Court,
for God knows they have enough
to bear for a thankless job.
Yet | think there is room for
improvement along that line.
Let US see if there is not some
way to meet the required de-
mand and no one be hurt serious
ly. I am aware that the County
Court is looked to, to solve this
problem, so let us begin with
them.
Is there not some room for re-
trenchment along lines of un-
necessary expenditures? They
may know best, but it looks that
way to me.
How about unasseSSed mort
cages and notes? | do not know
how it is now, bat there used to
be room here also. What about
our officers paying little better
attention to the duties the coun-
ty pays them to do, whether it is
half done or not9
And if an officer does not pay
strict attention to his Office,
would it not be the taxpayers
interest to put him out regard.
less of what his politics are?
| But you say this is not enough
to cover our accumulated debts
and prepare US for future needs
Let US, then, admit it will help
the future and, then turn to the
actions of some of our neighbor.
ing County Courts under similar
conditions and raise all persona
assessments five or ten per cent
or what is needed to cover oul
Indebtedness and meet future
needs. Then everybody would
help and no one hurt.
Would not this suit you, Mr.
Farmer, better than to have it al
fall upon your farms: 1t certain
ly looks more just to me: and ou1
town cousins and uncle mort