Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1917-03-08
n COMMUNICATION.
To the Editor of the ST. Mary's
BEACON -

BEACON -
The counties Of Maryland, like
the City of Baltimore, must realize
that by their system Of taxation they
are poisoning the body polite, para
lying progress, failing to do their
duty bS the State and nation Of
which they form part. What can
we think Of the logic Of communI-
~ which fines a man once for steal.
ing chickens and zines the man who
puts up the chicken house once
every year? The fine upon the
chicken thief is supposed 20 operate
a. deterrent. Does not the fine
upon the man who would build the
chicken house operate against the
making Of improvements? And yet
the farmers OF Maryland have for
years taxed themselves for construct
ing houses and barns and all the
other things that go 10 make life
possible in the country. Whv won
der that Maryland is Backward
Why should not Maryland be
back ward under such circumstances Z
viii we not naturally put up the
smallest and most inferior improve
ment which a. make shift carries
us through present emergencies
rather than improve our lands
so substantially a. 10 attract the
serious attention Of the assessor.
Does not wisdom dictate the max.
ing Of inferior Improvements, when
the county causes the assessor 10
pursue rs most vigorously for build
the bestY
The argument il simple, the Illus.
tratiuus arc trite. In the old world
when taxes were imposed upon win
iows people dwelt IN darkness
Wherever taxes are imposed upon
dogs their number dimiulshcs
License taxes keep down automatic
ally the undue establishment OF "a.
looms. Are not taxes levied opon
improvements exactly the same 81
their effect as taxes on Window,
dogs and saloopsY DO not such
taxes, therefore, prevent our pro-
gressiYe farmers from doing for the
benefit Of themselves and the COM
munity the things which ostensibly
We believe 10 bc for the advantage
OF allg
The effect Of our procedure il
fundamental II becomes less pro-
titable 70 use land than TO hold it
out Of use. II becomes Improbable
to employ labor and our laborcrs
suffer.
Under our system Of taxation we
are driving the independent farmer
from the farm and turning over our
land 10 tenants who haze no pariic-
ular interest in maintaining It's fer
tility. We are despoiling the gran.
aries of the nation and robbing the
coming generations of the riches Of
the earth, that earth which we should
hold ia trust for them As well AS for
ourselves.
Under this system Of taxation,
some forty per cent of our farms ia
cultivated by people who have no
interest in their maintenance and
development This figure has risen
within thirty years from twenty.
FIVE per cent. II we continue as we
have begun, in another thirty years
our country life will have 80 com
pletely degeneraled that the indie
pendent farmer will be almost I'M
known and his place viii be taken
by those who by that time will have
become a restless, shiftless and IRE.
sponsible tenentry, without pride OF
respect for the country in and the
land on which they subsist.
Today, taking the whole United
States, almost 30 per cent Of the
farming land in tracts Of loco
acres and more is held by less thar
one per cent OF the farm owners and
of this land less than 10 per cent il
under cultivation, whereas land he'd
in tracts up to 500 acres is cultivat.
ed TO the extent of so to 10 per cent
A large part of these smaller farms
left uneultivated il, as we know,
held speculatiyely, as are the grea
tracts. Meanwhile two and one
fourth millions Of farmers--mor'
than one-thifd of the whole number
ARE getting in many cases a diff
cult existance on farms Of fifty acre.
or less.
The sons of the farmers OF thes'
smaller tracts find The door Of OPP
portunity closed in their faces be
cause the relatively large owner
demand for the privilege of purchas,
of their lands a price which is pro
| hibitive to industry. Thus they ar
driven from our rural communitiei
to seek precarious livings in tn,
cities, or to 90 great distances I,
obtain cheaper lands. In this W,
shall largely find the explanation
for the fact that the rural popula
ton of Southern Maryland wa
fully as great in 1920 as In 1910
the young men having been driver
! from the agreeable climate an,
natural advantages Of Maryland fl