St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-01-22
FOR SALE.
A GOOD FARM-GOOD LOCATION.

A GOOD FARM-GOOD LOCATION.
SO acres, new 4-room house, hall,
front and back gallery, barn and
chicken house, pump water, l IL
miles this side of Onville on the Gov
ington-Onville Model Road, miles
from Covington; so acres under good
hog wire fence, rs acres cultivated;
high, rolling land. Price only $1400.
House insured for $500, premium
paid for two years. This property
is well located in one Of the best
famring sections of the parish. A
great bargain. See me. j. E. ellis
son, Covington, La. j23
~~~coo~o~vo~~
build this parish we have to increase
taxes. There is the difficulty, but
believe general system Of farm
drainage throughout the parish
wholly provides remedy for the bad
situation.
We need unite only so far as to
fix the boundaries of twenty or more
drainage districts. Then it may be
up to each district to project, con-
struct, pay for, and enjoy all the adS
vantages from it's own drainage sys-
tenn wholly separate from all the
others. II several districts want to
get together in the work of construc-
ton, they can. No person and no
community should have to pay for
what it doesn't get, and by the
twenty or more district plan they
would pay as they are benefited.
But drainage is different from
road building in this: A first class
system of drainage is a permanent
improvement. The first tile drains
in this country were laid in 1885 by
John Johnston on his farm near
Geneva, New York "The drains
constructed at that early date are
still in active operation and the farm
is widely known for its productive
ness Because drainage is "a per-
manent Improvement, the proper way
to finance it is by bond issues run
ming over a long period Of time
The laws of this state permit them
to run as long as forty years. This
overcomes the objection that drain
age would increase the tax burden
1t would on the contrary enable us
to raise the necessary taxes easier for
the support Of roads, schools, etc.,
and would actually lower the amount
of taxes to be paid on each dollar o.
valuation. In the first place, the
drainage tax will be paid wholly by
the farmers out of the increased pro-
duce made possible only by drainage.
Drainage will increase the amount
and value Of taxable property, so
that there will be more persons AMI
more property to pay taxes, and IL
direct ratio to the increase less taxes
will have to be paid by each. In
drainage then we have the ideal pub
lie improvement right at hand for
the alienation of any possible dis
tress from hard times, for 1t will en-
able us through bond issues to gel
now and to put the repayment Of
the sums so borrowed wholly over
to future generation or owners whu
will be getting d profit from. dra1u
age and be amply able to pay for It,
Drainage will thus restore and IN
crease prosperity. How much longer
shall we he willing to delay our
prosperity? The initiation Of a
drainage movement immediate!p
makes these cut-over lands valuabI
for farming purposes, the construc-
ton of drainage system prcviz.
immediate employment for labor, the
farming industry thus established.
brings new capital for investment in
livestock, farming implements, farm
buildings, and fences, the merchants
thus acquire new customers, and new
industries come in and attract al larg-
er city population. This is prospect
ty. 1t awaits only for consent
The voting Of the drainage projects
and the bonds gives consent. 4
by the time the first payments on the
bonds are due the world markets will
be stabilized, and every farm produc'
will again be sa1eable at prottaE;
prices, and we will have money de-
rived from the farm products Of these
cut-over lands to pay easily the cosf
Of drainage and large percentage
on the investment, that is, on the
borrowed money. The effect will be
that we shall have made money on
capitalists capital. Now, shall we
take it or leave it? Make these
lands valuable or abandon them
Stay with st. Tammany parish or
quit it? Drainage decides in the
affirmative.