River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-11-17
HYperbole
BY w C. BRADLEY

Col. w. j. Anderson, also Journal
correspondents, in his last letter IN the
New Richmond News, accuses the
writer Of dealing in hyperbole IN say
ing that IF taxes were not lowered IL
would result in confiscation OF many
farms"
Hyperbole may mean an exaggera-
tion In expressing a truth, as In the
lines from SCOTS Lady OF the Lake:
IL see the dagger crest Of Mar, ! see
the Moray's silver star, Wave Ger
the cloud of Saxon war that up the
lake comes winding far" Or 1t may
mean a, half uttered truth. Friends,
i do not wish to deal in exaggerations,
or half truths, and in answer TO Che
Colonel | am going to present facts
as | see them. And | do not wish TO
get into controversy that Will cause
hard feelings, as | recognize the fact
that the Colonel has very large
circle of readers in the New Rlch-
mond News. The River Falls Jour
ma! and other papers to which he con-
tributes. who enjoy his articles. But
I must confess that think he knows
yerv little about general farm eondi-
lions when he says 1T would be as
easy to cough ZIP $500 Tor taxes 70,
day as $50 forty or fifty years ago.
Let's see, have been IN the game
for forty-five years and | never saw
the average farm products sell niasa
lower than they have the past yeat,
Thousands of bushels OF potatoes SOLO
in Nav and June at lie per bushel
that cost the grower 81 to grow. Wooi
never sold cheaper; ordinary ave
stock, feeders, Gamers, stockers, ana
ordinary sheep would hardly pay the
freight. Cheese for several months
only Melted the farmer lie. wheat
that averaged from five to ten bu. per
acre and cost at least S1.25 to grow,
IS bringing the farmer from S5c TO
9oc because it is not grade. Oats and
rye are about as cheap as they were
ever known to be. In fact, the only
products which have paid the cost OF
production for the year are mix and
poultry. Yet Mr.. Anderson seems to
think it would cost the farmer very
little effort to dig up S40e for taxes.
Forty Years Ago
Forty-two wears ago we bought a
farm. Twenty-one years old, just
married. no capital, but plenty of
credit. As the land was wild, we did
not have to make any payment. The
clearing and breaking would make 1t
more valuable. When it was in crop
we could borrow more money for
building and put up good buildings.
At the end of three years we found
we were in debt nearly $4,000 and the
place had cost us $4,000. We had
three years of chintz bugs when il
was all we could do to pay our inter
est and taxes, but III ten years We
paid off the last dollar of debt and
won prize from the leading agricui-
tural PAPER in the United States for
the best article or paying the mort
gage on the Farm" And | want to
say / could not possibly do it under
our boasted civilization and tax bur-
dens today. But ] want to cite some
facty to prove my belize.
| know of a farm worth about $50,
600 on which there is a $4,000 mort
gage. 1t is rented on shares. The
owners share for 1920 was $500; for
1921 it will be even less. The interest
on the mortgage was $3.50, so there
was not enough to pay the interest:
5The taxes were 1924, which remained
unpaid. This years crop will not pay
much over one-half the interest and
the taxes will go again. The third
year the place will be sold for taxes
and in five years the owners equity
of $4,000 will be wiped out. Just