The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1922-03-09
HYDE'S 400 PCT. TAX BOOST
ON STATE FARMERS
CALLED ROBBERY
Leading Monroe County Resident
Flags Governors Equalization
Board.

Board.
Jefferson City. March 6.--"Whc,
the state board of equalization las
year voted 200 per cent increase OF
my farm in Monroe county l wa
robbed of many dollars in taxes"
That startling declaration wa:
made by James. Sanders, leadin,
farmer and stock man of Paris, Mon.
roe county, when he appeared with {
Monroe county delegation before the
state tax commission pleading for q
| reduction on the assessment OF farm
lands and personal property.
Delegations from Boone. Randolph
Linn and Madison couties also told
in convincing manner how the &C.
ton of Governor Hyde and the other
members of the state board of equali-
cation had resulted in imposing TN
Just and burdensome taxes upon the
farmers and home owners of their
counties.
Roy H. Monier, chairman of
the state tax commission, indi-
Gated that, while the commission
would make an effort to adjust
the burdens, there is little hope
this year of any material reduc-
ton in the taxes, which were fast
ened upon the people of Mis-
souri, during the first year of the
administration of Governor
Hyde.
State Senator J. H, Whitecotton Of
Monroe county, was member of the
delegation from that county.
The high taxes, which were i'm
posed upon the farmers of Monroe
comfy declared Senator Whitecot-
tom, ''hav de,norallzed, depressed
and paralyzed agricultural interests.
Farms are a dead load on the market
and their commercial value have been
destroyed. They can neither be sold
nor will people loan money on them.
The state must restore confidence
il farming interests at once or the
bottom will drop Out entirely. The
greater part of the tax burden was
laced on owners OF small farms who
were least able to pay the increased
taxes at this period OF depression"
Chairman Monier then asked vari-
Gus members of tine delegation their
opinions as to the value of lands i'll
Monroe county. All OF them agreed
that at least one-folrth of the 42I 900
acres III the county was barren and
tuald not be sold for All average OF
$40 per acre. Ihe second one-tourth
described as White Oak" country
was appraised at slightly higher
figure, while the other onc-half is ii
prairie.
The county assessor OF Monroe
last year assessed on the land on
an average OF Sis all acre, but the
state board OF equalization, head
cd by Governor Hyde, hiked this
200 per cent. This resulted Ill
the farmers being forced to pay
taxes on All average assessment
OF $40 an acre.
Members Of the delegation de
cared that SIS was the average mar
ket price for the top notch land Of
their county, while approximately
| .oo, 900 acres was worth less thai
hrce times that amount.
The assessor OF Monroe county as
| scssed the land for IY22 taxes on al
average CT $50 an acre and the dele
CATION pleaded that these figures b'
accepted. The delegation also asket
| that the assessment of their llvcstocF
&c reduced to the average assess
| ments OF other counties.
| If the figures OF the assessor dr'
accented" said Senator Whltecotton
the commission will go fong way:
| to. restore confidence i'll farm lands o
| cur section OF the state. The peopl'
ere beginning OF bcieve that Az a.
| .cnpt IS beng made to saddle al
| taxes upon the ia!ms and lei 'h|lf
| carry the entire burden.
Il was told that TIC hish "a Ees al
most caused rebellion among INK
people OF Marion county.
A. q. Dolly, OF Stoutsvii'e. 1nera-
ber of the Moore county couri, gave
he names OF several farmers VAC hau
given Ill in disgust because o. hiGll
taxes, a. they were unable to hake
decent living
Others in the Monroe county dele
:ation were Presiding Judge +. N
I.,pp, OF Paris; George Hall OF Aad'-
SON., I. II. Nhitesides; T. 5 Moore
and Sanders OF Paris, representing
he Monroe county farm bureau.
The delegation from Randolph
county complained about the 80 pc.
cent hike fastened on the. farms OF
that county last year by Governor
ILL., - i,:e .olie, U,,eS. the 20 per