Milford chronicle., 1923-12-28
IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT
FOR FARMERS.
Electricity to Aid Farmer

community in the United States will
soon come into existence as an exper
iment to determine to what extent the
comforts and conVeniences of city lift
can be made economically practicable
, on the farm and in the farm home.
The equipment will be furnished
free of charge through the Nationa
Electric Light Association, and the
farm owners will have to pay only
for the current used.
The extent of the experiment will be
limited only by the character of farm
ing done and by the variety of equip.
ment now on the market.
Complete records of costs, savings
and returns will be kept and this lata
will then be compiled in the most de-
tailed study of rural Identification
that has ever been attempted.
Half Free-Half Taxed
The problem arising from increase
in tax-exempt property, especially Sc
curities has already received attention
of Secretary Mellon, and corrective
legislation will probably be recon-
mended to Congress.
The National Industrial Conference
Board shows that the country paid IN
taxes last year $7,061 100000, against
$2,194 ,OO0,O 900 in 1918, and 1882, 000,-
900 in 1903. Ratio of taxation to ma
tional income was $40 in 1913; 12.1%
in 1919, 1910 in 1921, and 1910 in
1922. Tax bill last year was $64.63 per
CAPITA against $17.07 in 1913.
When the value of taX-eXempt real
! estate is added to the value of tax
exempt bonds, the total amount thus
escaping taxation increases greatly
the buruen on tax paying property and
income. Everyone should pay an equal
tax if sound government is to be main
tanned.
Protect Farmers and Industry
The new Congress has convened.
Will it consider the problems of the
people from the standpoint of the pub
lie interest or will personal political
ambitions and controversies be allow
ed to sidetrack action on important
national matters.
Take the Muscle Shoals situation.
Representative Madden says that to
lease the properties tC Henry Ford it
is necessary for the government to
spend $3,jJ0,000 on & Steam plant and
$5O,OOO,O0O on dams. Opponents argue
that government property costing IL
times Mr.. Ford's S5,000,C00 cash offer,
is being surrendered for song.
So far as Muscle Shoals cOntroV ersy i.
appears to the public, it seems to
hinge around how many million dol
lars the government is going to have
to spend in order to get somebody to
Ip OF flo
ure, and not what the public is going
to get for expenditure of it's tax funds
or granting of a 1C0-year lease
The farmers have been led to be- !
lieve they are going to get cheap fer
tilizer. What guarantee have they got |
that they will get fertilizer, cheap or
otherwise. What guarantee has been
made to industries that they will get |
cheap power or any power at all at |
points where they might wish to oper-
ate plants near Muscle Shoals?
These are simple points that would |
be definitely decided under any lease
OF private property between ;ndivid- |
uals or corporations. Then why can't |
politics be wiped out of the present |
Muscle Shoals controversy and def
mite pledges made 10 the public as to |
what benefits it, the public, is to de-
rive from the further expenditure of
$50, 100000 on the Muscle Shoals prop
osition? When states and nation are
trying to reduce taxes, why put more
millions into relic of the war unless
there are definite advantages for the
in so doing?
Can They BuncO the People
Advanced thinkers" are proposing
to put the state of Washington in the
insurance business and put all other
insurance companies in competition
with state management.
Having made a rotten failure of
s,ate guarantee of bank deposits,
which cost depositors in one bank
5, vrral millions of dol' II: the lad
vnced thinkers" want to dabble ID
insurance.
They love to experiment in state
control and government activity and
he insurance field is very tempting.
t would give thousands of public Ow-
lership politicians jobs with produc-
RS and taxpayers to make good when
,ver they get into the red.
The movement has been endorsed Wy
he Washington Automobile Club, al
hough the trustees of the OrganiZa-
ion have rejected the scheme, as Of
ering too great a temptation for
burning up and wrecking old cars
covered by state insurance.
1t would pay Washington to read
ver the report Of the Senate commit
ee of Illinois which rec9ltlv investi-
ated insurance or )fts in that state.
Out of $4O,OOO,OO0 paid by Illinois
itizens for fire insurance premiums,
SO 100000 remained in the state,
While the profit to the company out
# the remaining $2,OOO,OO0 was 1 per
ent on business written in the state
f Illinois. 1t is little wonder the COM 9
1ittee did not recommend state insur-
nee.
The Bonus
There will be determined fight to i
orce the Bonus Bill through Con- e
ress The suggestion advanced that I
the $4,000 who became millionaires .
through profiteering during the war,
e made to pay it, is not practicable.
Commenting on this the Charles
own, Miss, Sun, says: