Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-01-04
DEAD TOWNS
AND HIGH TAXES
Home OisIOyaIty Is the Cause
Of Decay.
WHAT GREAT NAPOLEON SAID

IN = Rich, Prosperous Community
Taxes Are No 6urden-ln Com
munity Where the Local Town 10
Dead Taxes Are High.
ICopy righted lei4 bN Thomas }. sullivan.
Taxing u an easy business Auy
new officia can cOntriNe new impOsl'
tons, any bunsler can add To the old,
but is IL altogether wise to have no
other bounds to your impositions than
the patience OF those who are ~ bear
them
What a benefit the government
would render Tia" state. the city. the
village and hamlet - u would hui taN
vices instead at property Bonaparte
said he found vices very profitable.
he got S5,0oOVUu annually from the
lovers OF brandy and he wanted to
know what virtue would pay him that
much
Taxes increasing Each Year.
Taxes are the sincws OF the state.
and they are indeed heavy. but if those
laid by the government were the only
oses We had to pay We might more
easily discharge them. bu we have
others. and much more srievouS 10
some OF us
We are taxed twice rs much 10y our
ignorance. three times as much by our
dtsloyalty and four times as much by
our folly. and from these taxes the
commissioners cannot ease or deliver
w by allowing All abatement.
The state, county and town levy aud
exact certain tax from every piece OF
property located within their bound
aries. the amount depending upon the
onicial requirements Ia rich. pros
porous community. where marketing
and manufacturing iund their Stinulat
ing influences taxes are low. A com
munity where the local town is dead
taxes necessarily are high
The explanation is easy The town
which is prosperous has successful
merchants with large and valuable
stocks OF goods; IL has manufacturing
plants and industrial enterprises Of
great worth it has newspapers. bank
ing houses and hotels. and. above all.
Ii is a marketing center The large
amount and the high value placed upon
this property materially decrease the
tax demands made upon the farmer in
that vicinity
Streets Paved With Jinsor Weeds.
Then take the other town, the dead
tDwn What are the cause and effecti
The ause is lack OF patronage, lack OF
Industrial pride. disloyalty and igno-
raIicc nf ones own condition and best
Interests The effect The town has
heconc Jay town. Ia the streets
have grown imsOn weeds the side
Wallis have gone To- decay, the stores
sre .sicani and an mir OF poverty and
dilnnidation prevails
In this latter town aud the surround
ing community taxes are high. prop
erty valueS have decreased. and alto
gethcr II is an undesirable place to live
jn. and the disposition az such property
is m impossible feat
As we stand and survey the ruins OF
q once prosperous and promising city
We turn TO the once successful retail
merchant. now standing in the door OF
his empty store and ask for the an
SWer
Briefly he makes reply. The retail
catalogue houses our residents in this
community became hypnotized by their
pictures and prices and nisrepresenta-
lions and this is the result
On the Altar OF Greed.
They sacrificed their own Interests
and their own town Oh the altar Of
greed and misunderstanding
The farmer should easily compre
bend that when stock OF goods In 4
store is depleted oue-half or more II.
cannot be taxed TOT more tAau il
value. and in case the merchant Tor
altogether from business then therr
remains nothing 10 be taxed but the
building And what can il be- taxed
at provided tenant who is willing TO
take a chance with his money cannot
be found Eventually the farmer vii
have TO pay the taxes This merchant
formerly paid, and If the farmer con
times throwing his patronage to on,
side concerns he will continue to re-
duce local values and increase his
taxes
Reflect Too Little.
Some farmers read too much and IL.
nect too little-depend too much upon
others. too little upon themselyc~.
They make OF their heads cold storage
warehouse for other people mca~
instead OF standing up in their own
Independent. gOdikc individuality
Reading aud rereadine OF mail order
catalogues leave man la about the
same condition rs Mark Twain's toad
with Its stomach full OF shot.
What do the mail order houses a.,
for the farmer DO they relieve him
81 any OF his tax burdens: No: they