Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1921-08-19
The Carpenter 5 Bsn-5
We MUST RUN OR FIGHT.
Z, LATT CARPENTER

gentleman said to me few days ago that he nevel
seXpected to invest in another dollars worth of Misss
spp property. He thinks the tax on such property is
nearly equal to the earning value of the property
OF course this opinion is open to dispute
However nobody denies that our taxas are high enough
TO be burdensome and everybody seems to be interest
ed in one way or another in finding relief
Wherein lies the cause of high taxes? Who o.
what is at fault? And from whom or from whence
will come remedy and relsfg ' s',skee s.s ae4
The question of raising revenue for public purposes
has Vexed the minds Of since the very beginning
Of civil organization and instead Of growing simpler
with the forward march of mems enlghtment this oues-
uon seems to grow more tangled and more complex
But we may dismiss from our minds any notion that
our trouble lies TO any great extent on the scheme" Of
taxation. We do not hear as many complaints about
INEQUALITIES AS we DO about the actual number of dollars
TO be paid
There is getting away from the fact that taxes ar
growing 10 be more b1rdensome every year. and there
10 of course cause for this condition. What II
Ut course the cause is to be found in the large ex-
penditures for public jmprovements-roads and educa
ton mainly-and the continued expenditure for furtbe
improvements Of the same kind And for these av
pendtures the people have no one save themselves to
chlde- chlde they must But there is no real reason
why these improvements should be regretted since thew
will play an important part in finding a solution to
troubles.
Getting back to causes-why should it be burdensome
20 US 10 pay back what we have spent public inn
proVement? The answer to this question involves
argument
Taxes are purely relative, They seem moderate or
even low IN periods of prosperity They seem high and
oppressive in periods of depression Just now we are
IN period Of low money making power and we are
OLE
times n - xsstu~
Not only is this true, but it also true that in p1pst
part of Mississippi territory of which Noxubee County
is part there has been reduction of producing power
through loss of population. Losses of population
are accompanied by certain loss of taxable property
and of course this actual tax increase against
the property remaining. But the most telling effect of
popuaton loss is not in the actual but in the relative
increase Of taxes when compared to production When
the absolute amount of taxes increases zach year ana
income from production decreases each year the two
quantities rapidly approach each other in value and
taxes become excessively burdensome
For fifteen years or more Noxubee County bas haa
losing population and has therefore been losing in
gross production and Income There il at his time
probably debt than has ever existed before The
conditions are nothing than the normal signs of
definite phase which every agricultural section sooner
or later enters upon
There seem to be three distinct phases in the ,;t.x
Of every agricultural section First there is the o,aa
and range period, during which the populat o., l. aot
tered and there large herds of lvestrnk Tbh oon
od Is sustained by bold spirits ran bordp
direct methods rude and ruthless There y
time place for manners - lila .~ IL hether
The second phase witr ..s.. ~.
and growing population and ~ e absent Of denser
crop system of Agriculture he developement OF one
dwindle away ans scaas The herds of livestock
IAN are necessary ha ely animals are retained
tf'. e, 4As pez,e> domestic use.
Durihse 4.sft ls great fortunes are acquired great
estates af-> up, and the highest degree Of culture
obtanabe throws it's influence around the circle Of those