Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-01-28


contracted at time when money was
cheap. and now interest must be paid
with money, which, in the farmers
case, if figured in the price of pro-
duce is equivalent to from 1910 to
500 or higher.
There are two manners whereby
this inequality in values may be cor
rected. One method is to initiate our
money, but the group controlling the
money and those who have a steady
well paid position will most likely
make any initiation impossible. The
other method is to bring all prices
and wages down to level as near
equal as possible. 1t is very I'M
pleasant way to go, but it seems as
though we must take this course or
rather help it along. If we do not
initiate our money there is no other
way, but it is way of unnecessary
suffering and hardship and proof Of
how ignorant and barbarian we are in
spite of all our science and culture
In normal times our interest rate
does not seem to bother US 50 much,
still it is the main channel through
which the wealth is centralized But
only through federal legislation can
rate. The federal income tax sup
ported by an effective Inheritance tax
and the revenue redistributed through
old age pension would bring some of
our interest money back to it's source
The inequality has made taxes, es-
pecially real estate, cOnfiScatOIy in
many instances. The present unjust
taxation system is most likely doomed
but if we are to wait for the state
income tax to help us out, many a
family will be forced to leave their
home before that form of taxation will
possible surplus from state in
come tax, after the present state tax
we pay is replaced, will be swallowed
by the most certain increase in the
poor and pension funds.
Let us try what can be done under
ing them, and not wait for cOnsti-
tutional amendment. Let us investi-
gate to how great an extent a lower
ing of our assessed valuation will in
fluence our taxes through salaries and
state aid for our schools. Would it
lessen our tax burden if all fees paid
at the court house were paid into
the county treasury and all officials
were paid a fixed salary?
AS | have mentioned before, it ap-
pears to me that the money accrued
from motor vehicle licenses should be
used in the localities where it was
collected, and our trunk highways
should be built and maintained by
money collected through gasoline tax
and licenses on commercial motor
vehicles. A farmer having an old
model T Ford should not pay a tax
of 500 of the actual value of his
rig, i'm order to use it to haul his
cream to town, and said tax is used
to build tourist roads and create an
unfair competition with the railroads.
Stating this does not mean that | feel
sorry for the railroad, but we all know
unfairneSs.
In the year of 1881 the trunk high
way fund in our state received
through:
Motor vehicle tax ----S1O,7 09,3 1868
Gasoline tax (2c) ------ 7.942,042
From the two sources $751; 51 ,410
Six cents gasoline tax will accord
ing to these figures raise S19,S55, 1O5
for the trunk highway system.
Now then, could a farmer not af-
ford to pay three cents more gas tax
and still pay some form of license or
tax, on his car, to be used to pay for
his own roads. And if commercial
vehicles were state taxed in proper
ton to the use they made of the trunk
highway probably two cents of gasO-
line tax might be distributed to be
used for the county and township