The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1922-10-12

Full UTILITY, let US eliminate them,
and thus tighten the burden Of the
r #0#>>-%
- Growth in Road Taxes.
7 IN percentage Of i increase In
amount of taxes, the levies Tor roads
and bridges lead all others, the in
crease being 1876 per cent in the last
20 years. -
I'm 1921, the total levies{ for roads
amounted to $21,040,655, or nearly
1917 per cent of all direct taxes levied
in that year. To this amount should
be added $5,616,113, representing
taxes on motor vehicles.
while the economic value Of. good
highways is conceded, their construc-
ton should not be pushed too rapidly,
lest the burden on the taxpayer be-
come so great that it will retard de-
velopment along other lines.
County Taxes Go Up.
THE increase in county taxes, ex-
elusive of road and bridge levies, has
been quite large, though smaller than
for education or roads.
"City, village, and township taxes
also have grown. Factors entering
into the increase in cities and villages
are the extension of water and sewage
systems, better paved and better
lighted streets, the improvement Of
parks and Fairgrounds and better liv-
ing conditions generally.
"Inasmuch as the amount of town
ship taxes to be raised in any year
is determined at the annual town
meeting, the burden of town taxes is
under the direct control of the people
who pay them. If the burden is heavy
the people themselves are responsible
for it,
Farmer Is Hardest Hit.
''The growth in the tax burden dur
ing the last five years has probably
been felt more in the last year or two
in the rural than in the urban districts
OF the state, due to the less favorable
economic conditions prevailing in rur-
al districts. The farmer, having but
little to say in fixing the price of
things he produces, has not been able
to protect himself to the same extent
as the manufacturer or the merchant.
1.-THE farmers tax burden, measured
by the exchange value of his products,
has grown extremely heavy in the
last year or two.
ut is worthy of note that both prin-
cipal levies under direct control Of
the people who pay the taxes-the To-
cal school district levies and the town
road and bridge levies-show a large
increase in the five year period, the
former amounting to nearly $50 per
cent and the latter to a little over 2O6
per cent
These levies show very conclusive
ly that taxes under direct control of
the people of the rural districts have
Increased more rapidly than taxes
levied by the elected officials of the
different units of government.
ut is also worthy of note that of
each dollar levied in taxes in the
rural districts last year and pay
able this year, education will re-
ceive nearly II cents and roads
and bridges nearly $50 cents, or
a combined total Of about 76H
cents.
High tax rates are not always an
unmixed evil. They are often entirely
justifiable, and frequently commend
able. In many cases the benefits de-
rived from the levies fully compen-
safe for high rates.
IF high rates are the result of de.
sirable and needed public improve
ments, and if the taxpayer is able to
meet the demand without finding the
tax burdensome, then they are prefer
able to low rates and dry rot.
'But if desirable public improve
ment will result in a tax rate so high
as to become an oppressive burden,
then the making of the improvement,
however desirable it may be, should
be deferred until the taxpayer is bet
ter able to meet the extra demands
on his pocketbook. High tax rates are
not necessarily bad; oppressive tax
rates are absolutely bad
Taxes Near Oppressive Point.
The governor stated that there has
been much passing the buck as to
the responsibility for higher taxes
and added:
'No single unit of government can
be charged with the entire RESPONSE
bility. Expenses have grown in one
unit as rapidly as in another.
However, regardless of RESPONSE
bility, tax rates have almost reached
the breaking point. Whether the ex
cessive rates now so generally pre-,
vailing throughout the state are due
to the expansion of governmental
functions, or whether they are the re-
suit of the insistent public demand
for better roads, better schools, and
better other things, the fact remains
that tax rates have almost reached
the limit of the taxpayers ability to
pay. Any further increase in the al.
ready heavy, burden will be almost
sure to retard the future agricultural
industrial and commercial develop
ment of the state. f." j.. - .
"The remedy lies in rigid econo-
my on the part Of each unit of
a0veenn,An$-inf :. The eoLnal% IL.