The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-04-21
THE FARMER AND TAXES
Martin. N. Oak.

Editor, Tribune:
The topic Of talk and writing now
adays among the farmers and busi-
ness men in town, township, county
and state IS on too high taxes and
interest, especially on farm land and
property, and that taxes and interest
must be reduced, or farmers will 60
broke one by one and lose their farms.
The farmers, as q whole, and espe-
cially In North Dakota, are the most
financially mistreated people in our
country at present. The farmer is not
without fault either, that his condi-
ton is so deplorable. The farmers
are "the tillers Of the soil'' and they
raise the food to feed, and the cloth
ing material to clothe the inhabitants
Of this great country. Take the man
and his pillow and cultivation out of
this country. and America with all its
gold, silver and wealth would crumble
in ruins. People must have food Or
they cannot exist. The farmer Is the
man that pays taxes on all four Sec
tons of government operation, and
maintenance expenses Of township,
county, state and federal government.
All other industries have way where
by they can figure their taxes on the
cost Of their product which they sell
to the public, but the farmer has no
way, under the present laws, to escape
his assessed taxes on his farm and
property. He must either pay or lose
his home and farm, for a small sum
of past due unpaid taxes, regardless
Of whether he has lived on that farm
five or so years; regardless Of wheth-
err he had the misfortune of losing his
crop by hail. drought, grasshopper, OF
unreasonably low prices on his farm
product. II he Is unable to raise tn,
money he loses his farm and he and
his family are turned out on the
road.
Had the farmers been as much in
terested in their rights at the polls
on election day in the past. as they
were interested in raising larger and
larger food supply, and had elected
their men to the offices Of township.
county, state and to the legislature
and congress, to see that laws were
passed to protect agriculture, accord
ing to other industries. they would be
today the most honorable and we'll
TODD group Of people in this world.
In closing let me refer the reader to
only one law (there are more OF them
that are wrong) and If this law Is not
soon repealed and made ineffective
every farmer in the state Of North
Dakota must lose his farm because OF
inability to pay taxes. I will illus
trate: Five farmers are paying taxes
Of 5000 each a year. total 81 900. No.
cannot pay his taxes. The state
gets the land and also the
rental crop off the land but does not
pay taxes on this land. So the 5000
falls on the four remaining farmers
to pay. making their amounts $3.50
each. No. 2 loses his land as did No.
l, now three farmers pay the taxes
formerly paid by five, amounting to
$333.33 each. No. loses and the two
pay $500 each and at last
the one remaining has to pay 1000,
because taxes must be paid and are
required for operating the govern
ment. Consequently the tax ball Is
larger every turn, under this
law.
MY opinion Is this: II the state
takes the land, and the land produces
e. crop or income. that first income
must be taken and the taxes paid and
the remainder GO into the state fund.
M. II. QRTMANN,