jmr: 



i ■'<ii».ji>«*tTT?>7V5r-^ 



^TTr»«<»H»P»^r?'Y^'' 



..j^ 



■» •XSV^.wiS-M^S'-J'^ 



*^^ 



38 



THE ILLINOIS FARMEK. 



Feb. 



Vf 



SJ-. 



taxed why not tax his land and his cap- 

 ital in stock and other personal proper- 

 ty. If he has more land than he wish- 

 es to pay tax on, or finds profitable, let 

 him sell it to the man who can make it 

 pay. Under the present law the old 

 land sharks are protected and the in- 

 dustrious, hard workinor farmer must 

 pay. The man who holds a lot worth 

 ten thousand dollars, for an advance 

 pays nothing, but the man who im- 

 proves his property must pay. Thus 

 making one class pay the whole ex- 

 pense of the war, l^Tot long since we 

 saw an account of three individuals in 

 Chicago, one of them a merchant of 

 moderate means, paying a tax. of three 

 per cent., on a hundred thousand 

 dollars, and two among the most weal- 

 thy in the city, worth at least a quar- 

 ter of a million each in real estate pay- 

 ing nothing. 



Why? because they chose to invest 

 in real estate that would improve in 

 value as the city improved, instead of 

 doing business. We know them per- 

 sonally, and know too, that nineteen- 

 twentieths of their worth has been de- 

 rived from the natural advance in their 

 property, caused by the growth of the 

 city. If this property increase in val- 

 ue twenty thousand a year, they pay 

 no income tax on it, while the growth 

 on the farm stock that feeds on his 

 acres must be accounted for. 



' A farmer who devotes a portion of 

 .grounds to the growth of trees andi 

 ■plants, must pay a licence of ten dol- 

 lars, and then an addition of three per 

 cent, on his sales, for income. At the 

 same time, the law says, that products 

 mean every species of thing grown or 

 produced on a farm. The commission- 

 er who in the face of this law decided 

 that he should pay a license, should be 



awarded a leather medal at every State 

 and county fair throughout the country. 



We last year purchased of a farmer 

 a thousand currant bushes, and the 

 assessor decided that he was a nursery- 

 man, and should pay a license as a nur- 

 seryman. This man grows his own 

 nursery trees, and of some sorts has an 

 excess which he sells, probabjy to the 

 amount of one or two hundred dollars 

 a year, and for this he must pay ten 

 dollars license, and three per cent, in- 

 come. In this case the law is not at 

 fault, and the blame is with the ofiicers. 

 But it may be asked why pay it ? stand 

 a suit on it. This is all very well, but 

 most farmers prefer to be swindled out 

 of ten dollars, rather than lose a hun- 

 dred in going to law. 



We want plain, simple laws, and a 

 set of honest, intelligent ofiicers to ex- 

 cute them, but instead we have a set of 

 blatant politicians, with now and then 

 an honest man, who gets in throvgh 

 mistake. 



Ohio Wool Growers' Convention. 



In accordance with the expressed wishes and ad- 

 vice of many members of the Ohio Wool Growers' 

 Association, notice is hereby given that there will 

 be a mee-ting of the Association, together with a pu- 

 blic Convention of Wool Growers and those inter- 

 ested in wool growing, in the city of Columbus, on 

 Tuesday the 5th day of January, 1864, to meet for 

 the presentation of business, at 10 o'clock A. M. o 

 that day, and to continue in session at the pleasure^ 

 of the Convention. . 



A public Address will be delivered before the Con 

 vention, on Wednesday evening, Jan. 6th, by Hon 

 Henry S. Randall, of Cortland Village, N. Y. 



We cordially invite the attendance of all persons 

 interested in the production, handling .or consump- 

 tion, of sheep and wool. 



S. D. HARRIS, President. 



J.Paek Alexakdkr, Secretary. 



There should be a large representation from thi« 

 state. This convention cannot result otherwis* 

 than beneficial to the wool growing interest. Wash- 

 ing of sheep will doubtless be settled Xor or agialnst 

 at this meeting, — ^Ed. 



