The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-06-20
The Goose and the Golden Egg

lit not possible that the old bird had
lost much of her producing power,
and that her demise was the result of
having been 'picked" clean? There
is more than one method of killing
even goose. Thus it was that this
great enterprise departed, leaving st.
Francois county "holding the bag"
The Enterprise further says that
"the great lead companies seriously
objected last fall that the amount of
their taxes were too great" Now,
If Bro. Pigg lived little nearer the
Lead Belt, he might be able to more
nearly comprehend the meaning of the
internal rumblings that occasionally
quiver through that great mining re-
gion. He does not seem to fully ap-
preciate the fact that those companies
have local attorneys regularly en-
ployed, "to look after their interests"
And if anyone thinks that these local
attorneys are not active and ener-
prising fellows, then all such have at
least one other guess. They must
earn their salary, and, if possible, try
and secure little argument" for
an increase in salary, even though
such argument" may have to be heav-
lily "camoufaged."
Did Bro Pigg ever think about how
much of the Serious objection of
these great companies may have
terminated in the minds of the local
attorneys right here in the field,
which was perhaps in the form of a
mature" plant before the real heads
of the companies had their attention
1irapfaA 10 Thn,< &c H.
tiaged plant" looked at all life-like it
stands to reason that consent of the
company is not difficult to secure to
attempt to transplant such plant" in
the Lead Belt, providing the "bait"
attached thereto is possible reduc-
ton in taxes. You will understand,
Bro Pigg, that the attorneys for the
mining companies are regularly re-
tanned, so that the expense of legal
proceedings, when it comes to that,
can be carried on at a minimum of
cost to the companies. But, really,
those financially powerful companies
care little for turning loose of a mill
lion or more, in proper "camouflage",
as they have turned loose since the
war closed, in attempting to force
public sentiment more to their manner
of viewing the situation in the Lead
Belt.
The Enterprise is needlessly alarm
ed when it fears that the great min
ing corporations of this county do not
appreciate the fact that they have
been getting along remarkably we'll
in the tax rate they have been paying.
The Times feels that it would not be
otr fahs Ala A,
when it voices its belief that if the
mining companies had been left TO
make up their minds and to act ON
their own judgement in the matter
of paying their taxes each year, there
would have been no compromise ask
ed for, nor would there have been
any suits instituted to force such pay
ment. The Times further believes
that those corporations, even though
they have holdings so large that they
pay about so per cent of the taxes of
st. Francois county, will not oppose a
million dollar good roads bond issue.
In fact this paper is of the opinion
that they would favor the proposition,
as they have favored all other public
improvements. But these great cor
porGtions are made up of ordinary
human beings, similar to you and me,
and if they think that there is achance
to get a reduced tax assessment of
several million dollars, or a rebate of a
hundred thousand or more on their
tax bill, is it contrary to human ma
ture for them to accept it?-espec-
tally when they may have an ener-
getic attorney at their elbow urging
them on. To our mind such a course
is one of the most natural things i'm
aginable.
No, Bro. Pigg, The Times has not
the slightest desire to "kill the goose