The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-19


MACE because it is prophetic. AS l
t,ol out over tie far reackirg stretch
If lnproductiv> country l can see
some things No, brother, that is a
wrong guess. Not dreams of the i'm
frlansity Of space and of the poetry OF
iho forest and that kind of romaLtic
pictures. that | see is cold ald hgury.
n -ingles when il is in piles. and when
n does not Jingle it rustles, for it is
CASH
am not thinking just at the pres
eet that the groves were the first tenn
pies. nor of the sough OF the breeze
IN jhe pine tops. nor of that line,
crediLabl as it nay seem, but of the
,4uare-edeed material things, the
Mind you count in dollars, and bales
a0d bushels.
Here is block Of five Thousand
acres Of land about 10 enlist in the
service of the State. When the tax
assessors looked the traC over the
last time they put it down for a few
cents an acre TO the common con-
tribution When the next aSsessm ent
is made that figure is going up. and
by the time this Improvement has
been completed ard men are at work
on the property making it produe
things and shelter families and taking
II will pay will be several times what
i. has been in any year of the past.
Let us say that its contribution to
the state and county revenue VIII be
three times what il was. 1t will be
Tar more than that mach, but it is
wise to figure III small units rather
than big ones.
North Carolina has a land area OF
31Q00,000 acres. OF that amount
$4,000 is improved, or just shade
above quarter of it.
Now. suppose we could improve the
other three quarters and make it pay
three times as much taxes as it docs
What would the State do with all the
money
Increase Productive Power.
While the legislature is figuring GU
way to increase the revenue of tht
state is the time to stand here OF
these highlands and think about IN,
benefits that come from increasing
the productive power of the land o
the state. This part Of Holle count
vas cut from Cumberland since tn
census was taken. When the censu
count was made Cumberland ha'
10000 acres Of improved farm lands
and jtS,00G acres of unimproved an
improved lands, or more than fiv
acres Of unimproved land for ever
'r4I u ldlu, NOW SuDDOS
mat the $4,000 acres could be mad
. pay three times as much tax a
they pay now. What would be tn
result? Cumberland county, would b
deiuged with money.
IN the Senate at the present Writin
- j. ". Johnson, who represents thi
district Of Hoke and Cumberland. NJ
Johnson can tell how to increase tn
axes of the State so that there will b
40 want Of money, for he has had
VIDE experience. He has taken tn
= paid about two or three cents q
tcfe taxes, and he has made it S
tuat II produces almost an average
oale ar cotton and sixty or seyent
DuShels Of corn to the acre. On tn;
A'ud now he pays probably from fl,
~ twenty times as much tax on tf
acre, and on some of it l venture
pays fifty times as much tax to tt
acre as when he got it. Mere tina
mat he is raising about eight nir
hundred bales of cotton a year c
tnlS land. and employing a lot Of PEI
PIE who also pay taxes. Senat,
"OHnSoh mas shown couple of hol
SAND acres of land how to increase i
ives with profit TO everybody CO..
Fhed The process is simply
'""Alhg the land productive.
Not Utilizing Resources
North Carolina is like boy WI
-, ~ growing TOO fast for his clothe
ne me state Is making progress so ra
NY mat 1t can not keep up with
u"l'y expansion. 1t is growing, but
ls not developing it's resources ia
nouSh for its wants. To get mo
eaAes we want more land brought in
productive condition, and " want
mere mere soon. for 1 am going TO break
nte 1rttie olt OF news to you this mornin
N"e revenue Of the State of Nor