154 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



consin to-day there is more property that escapes taxation 

 than pays it. A very nice state of affairs, is it not? Every 

 dollar the farmer owns stands out there and gets a square 

 shot from the assessor, and he hits the bull's eye, too. 

 There are men in my own town who are worth $100,000 

 who are paying taxes on $500, $1,500 and $2,500. That is 

 their total assessment. It is so all over this whole country, 

 and how is this condition to be remedied except by the pro- 

 motion of a broader degree of intelligence ? 



Now, I have one suggestion to make, and I hope to see 

 somebody set the matter going. I want to do something on 

 this question of unequal taxation, and if it is in order I will 

 make this suggestion. Publicity is the great corrective of 

 evil in the United States, for the moment you make a thing 

 clearly public, that very moment you reduce the percentage 

 of evil. The very moment you throw any infected district 

 open to the sunlight and the air, that very moment you re- 

 duce the percentage of infection, and when you have any 

 evil existing, if you can only get it before the public, that 

 very moment public opinion corrects that which law cannot. 

 I would suggest that you as an agricultural organization, in 

 the interest of fair taxation throughout the State, should 

 begin to agitate this proposition, that immediately after 

 the assessment of taxes has been made by the assessors it be 

 published ; that the personal property assessment of every 

 town be printed and set before the gaze of everybody to 

 determine the fairness and accuracy of it. 



The Chairman. A man may appeal to the assessors to 

 equalize or reduce his taxes, and if he is dissatisfied with their 

 decision, he may appeal to the county commissioners. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. How many of the farmers in this 

 town of Great Barrington ever inspect the assessment list 

 after it is made ? 



The Chairman. Well, not one, I think. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. If it was published they would be 

 led to inspect it. 



Secretary Sessions. Mr. Chairman, another thought has 

 occurred to me while the last two gentlemen have been 

 speaking. They have expressed the idea which I had in my 

 mind a great deal better than I could say it, and I am very 



