Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-15

/ 10 The Editor -! The Times. Dispatch ::
Sir.-Foliowirs is letter I have
written Ia answe. TO Marvin
Smith"y's communicate on the stat,
! bond issue in The Times dispatch:
/ was very much surprised to Sc.
! by your article in today's Times p,s-
catch that you have gone over TO the
/ road bond crowd can't follow you
! " you are unt-r Ia" impression that
| The farmers delegates are for Sta,e
1 BOMBS. IA my Judgment you are mis-
'ak"r
! The towns and the cities had Jus,
aN VOL learn nov as at ANY other
/ time ;ha; the farming people demand
'Aai iacy have bette; marketing
sys,en :" 4" 10 ge, better return
! Tor their labor. before they viii agree
To ?nt any moro burden on them In
{ ;he way-ci ta1es
I The nation IL blankctcd with bill
! Ions h' bonds. the STATE Il hinnkrtcd
with millions Of bonds. III. counties
are hlankctod with millions. the dis
tricis are blanHetcd win millions.
/ ne towns ar. in tho same GH. the
/ cities are I'm the same Ak. and "A large
number of the homes and farms are
( IN TN. sAnl. fix Hence. feel that
this seven thickness OF blankets Is
enough Tor tn" coming winter. and
an! going to vote 10 keep any more
from benz put on.
tn. hrGumcn, is made by the bond
advocates that good roads help the
farmers This admit and ] an! FOR
good roads 10 lie paid FOR as We go
ont OF gasoline tax Ia hc spent
.as collected. To build The roads. hut
not 10 Sink bonds.
! Tho. ether side argues that they
7 N ed - ~
Know ina, this would he only be-
ginning. or The entering wedge. for
%l2.ooC.oOv could not cover the whole
state. and those who would he pay
! Ing. or liable for the guarantee 81
taxes and have gotten none OF the
| ruaJs. would he ciamoring for an
! other bond issue and this would con-
;inuc until there would u. $1,000 U0.-
600 issued. We all know that the
! gas line tax could not take care OF
that amount. 80 why do no, tho adj
I vcca;-s stnte the facts and confess
20 thu peopi. that. the {l2.Oo0O00 -
/ just starter"
| You know ;hat any bond issue tina.
Is not guaranteed by the state. with
out any condition attached. would not
! sell. Yop further know that the
I Legislature could not put on cond!-
! lions separate and apart from the
straight guarantee OF the State that
ANY other Legislature" could not
change. II you fix /, so that the
state can stand from under. the honua
VIII not sell. SO. after all. they are
| really state bonds. or no bonds at
all.
I have often heard 1t stated that
! the bonds can be paid w!thou, In
| creasinE taxes. put no faith In
%, I.
that tho total revenue OF the State
has been increasing by leaps and
hounds. yet the expenses OF the State
hnvo kept ahead OF the revenue, and
this Viii continue to be the case. for
the State has nothinE 20 sell and only
power TO tax. and. in my Judgment.
her taxes have gotten 10 be burden
some. and. untu the markets Of the
world get better adjusted. and the
farmer gets "a better return for his
labor. We should not increase on,
oblig ations.
No use OF your telling the farmer
that the good road will make his
farm more valuable, for ne knows
that il will make IL sell for a better
price. and also carry higher taxanie
value: bu. can you show him that he
Will got more revenue from the farm
property is worth more to keep un-
less the revenue is increased. They
VIII argue that the farmer can sell
his farm for more money. That may
be true. but the sucker who buys II
VIII sim ind that does not make tho
required revenue-Iin'fact, less In pro-
portion to the price he paid. and
II the purchaser sells for higher
price. the buyer Will again find that
he makes still less pro rata revenues.
and thus the process goes on.
Hold UP on the speedway between
the cities. In many cases parallel!ne
the iron rail. and spend most OF the
present revenue ON the lateral roads
that lead to the railroads or the mar
kct, and the farmers Will get their
produce to the cities and the many
midd!em"n then can continue TO sel
the larger par: OF the consumers dol
lar. until the city and town consumers
Join hands with the farmers to sec
that some OF tho distribution and
overhead profits and charges are cut
out JOS NJ HURT.
SlarksioEe. Va. Oat. g. 1924