The log cabin Democrat., 1914-02-07
EXPLAINS POSITION
ON TAX QUESTION
JUDGE PRINCE WRITES
SAYS TAXES ARE REALLY
HIGHER THAN HE FIRST
ASSERTED.
Editor Log Cabin Democrat:

Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
l notice you take issue with a state.
ment had published some DAYS ago
| am not surprised at the articles
have seen in your paper since | wrote
the one you referred to. | wrote il
to call attention to the negligence of
the parties who serve us as our lords
and masters" l wanted them to stop
dealing beneath the board" When
the peoples attention is called to the
true conditions, it does no good to
eVade and refuse to give the financial
standing of the town of Conway. A
full and complete statement should be
given by the parties in control. at
once, which includes the assets and
liabilities of the city, and this state
ment should be supplemented by
monthly itemiZed statements publish
ed 1t will be welcome news and good
reading.
Now, the statement | made about
the taxes We are paying and will have
to pay, being S. and the 500, was
only an approximation. l see you say
the taxes are only little more than
two per cent, that is, So on the 500.
| must say you must have been asleep
when you said we are only paying and
going to pay little more than So on
the $100. "Taxes are like death, they
come and we can't escape Anything
is tax that is fixed upon US by law,
for the general good, as they are
pleased to call it.
| give the following as the taxes
we are paying and will have to pay
so soon as they get all the concerns
in operation, viz:
State taxes for all purposes, 67s
mills on the 81; special school tax, 7
mills; county taxes for all purposes, 8
mills; town taxes, mills; special i'm
provement water district taxes, 8
mills; sewerage taxes, mills; extra
expense from the use of electric
lights, 10 mills; extra expense from
the use of water furnished by the
waterworks, 10 mills; extra expense
from plumbing, so as to use water and
sewerage plants, 10 mills; extra ex-
pense by being forced to make side
walks, 10 mills, which makes TN
mills on the 81.
Instead of being IS on the 500, as
| first stated, it is and will be at least
81 on the $100. Now, we have not
and will not pay this amount each
year, but take term of 10 years, and
we will average paying 81 per annum
on the 500. The figures l have given
are not absolutely correct, but l give
the amount as fair approximation.
| am sure you will continue to take
issue with me; still, as aforesaid,
when we are required by the law to
pay with or without our consent, it is
a burden and is only tax, nothing
more and nothing less.
l was required to lay sidewalks
around lot of mine three-fourths of
mile from the center of town, which
cost me as much as the lot was worth,
and just for the benefit of some few
parties living near the lot, and to en-
hance the value of lots of some specu-
lator who owns most of Anderson's s
addition to Conway. All lots on the
opposite side of the street from where
my lot is get the benefit from the side
walk | had to pay for, and those par
ties got this benefit at my expense
without putting up a cent. Do you
think you can make me believe that
this burden on me was not direct
tax? You can't feed US on talk with
out reason.
Paying taxes is like pouring shot in
rat-hole. If you look close you may
see the shot go in the hole, but you
never see the shot any more.
P. H. PRINCE.
Conway, Ark, Feb. Z, 1914.