The Harrison times., 1918-12-28
Burden Is Lightest in Communi-
ties Boasting Live and Thriv.
ing Towns.
farmer FEELS The EFFECT
Is Inclined to Forget, at Times, That
He Is Most Vitally Interested In
Prosperity Of Nearby
Cities.

than in others. If you have ever
stopped to investigate the matter you
have discovered that the lowest taxes
are found in the most prosperous COM
munitieS. And there's a reason.
The prosperous community has the
lowest taxes because there is a large
amount Of wealth in the community
against which the taxes may be as
sessed. There are prosperous mer
chants with large stocks of goods up
on which taxes are levied. Property
values are high and there are thriving
industries which pay a large proper
ton Of the taxes.
The higher the property values anG
the greater the wealth of the cOmmu
nifty the lower are the tax levies, for a
lower tax on each hundred dollars OF
valuation is required to produce the
necessary revenue for the administra
ton Of the city and county govern
mentS.
Other Taxes Are Raised.
On the other hand, take a dead town
Property values are low. Merchants
stocks are small and they have little
money in the bank. Industries which
ordinarily pay large part of the taxes
of a community have closed down
There are vacant store buildings which
were formerly filed with stocks OF
merchandise upon which the owners
paid heavy taxes. Who pays the taxes
that were once paid by the mechants
the manufacturers, the bankers and
the men who had large holdings Of
high-priced property! The taxes tc
conduct the city and county govern
ments, to maintain the schools, to builG
and repair the roads must be collect
ed from someone. Who pays them !
The man who owns his little home OF
the vacant lot or two upon which he
has been planning to build his home
must pay double or triple the amount
which he paid in the times when the
town was prosperous, to make up fol
the taxes which are not paid now by
the merchants, the bankers the manu-
facturers and the big property owners
who bore the heaviest burdens Of tax
alton when times were good.
The farmers in the country sur
, rounding the town are also among the
heaviest sufferers from the ebbing Of
: the towns prosperity. A certain
amount of money must be raised by
Naxation to provide for the expenses
a)f the county. Roads must be built
dnd kept in repair. Bridges must be
muilt and maintained. Salaries Of
oounty officers must be paid. County
lstltutions for the care Of the sick
9 I'D the poor must be maintained. II
hoAuntieS which contain one or more
thriving towns, a large proportion Of
thee taxes for the county are paid by
foe towns. The greater the wealth
,arthe towns and the higher the prop
, c,y valuations, the lower the tax levy
the entire county. When the tax
'''N is low the burden placed upon the
"'ner is light.
, the purasn E,,Ie =, E,rrer
,rge.hen the county contains no pros
Winsus and wealthy towns, the greater
re of the burden Of taxation for the
ty falls upon the farmer. The
Of the farmers property does not
N proportion to the value Of the
IlTH. Irty in the town and the higher
hvy that results from the lower
g one Ety values in the towns makes
rman xes higher,
mill. farmer fOrgetS at times that he
.,o,, lily interested in the prosperity
town." He thinks that 1t Is up
- "'' town to take care of itself and
Vi III is up to him to take care Of
en Ol and he oyerloOks that fact that
Are Sperity of the town means as
ses t0 } him as it does to those who
faith? e The farmer VINO Is lhcIlhe
,,.,o, box this fact has only to think
latter Of taxes and he Is likely
'e his point Of view for taxes
'o"''' ohing that neither he nor any
lahl'S' oCan escape, and they are one
magm. (which the farmer ordinarily
is he "ry lively interest.
lue" VI $ just one way In which the
AL us m best promote prosperity in
. Tie thear which he lives and that
e dent Sling his money in that town
.tianity 'nsendlng it away to the far
,oot ia. w Every time the farmer
49,, h serder 20 Il mail order house
ny destroy the prosperity of
y 'NPo Immunity and to boost his
secret oW When he sends Il dollar
call II u" home he gets none Of 1t
blsmish Su,'n he spends a dollar at
h'N of that dollar comes back
W ne way, II helps the town
VIII, no,t IN nrov,da fl nroft.
1T. abl ror his nrodrcts and Il
hell nav II largo nort of his
tax
,r, and Ia the one man In the
.,.,5.. Von nbove all others who
nd ldeu' Sh0t, t,,,o Co., cha r,oil or,l,r
hou,y are doing more TO add