Terican Agriculturist, Marcn 15 , 1944 
What H __ 
Taxed for Building One Barn, Taxed for Tearing Down Another 
By A. A. READERS 
P RESIDENT COOLIDGE says he wants to help 
the farmers, Congress wants to help the farmers. 
Governor Smith wants to help the farmers. They This farm was 120 acres; 4 acres were taken off when 
all want to help the farmers, and in order to do the railroad was put through and since then I have 
this they propose to cut the income taxes. Perhaps you sold off some, so now I have 86 acres and still my taxes 
know, and 1 believe it would be interesting to farmers keep going up. Wages are so high it practically stops 
to know, what per cent, of farmers has income enough production. There has got to be a turnover some way 
that they are required to pay an income tax. or I do not know what the country is coming to As 
I see it was left for American Agriculturist to things are, we have our nose tied to the grindstone, 
start the wheel rolling for a plan that would help farmers We have no heart to work. I also hope the school bill 
more than an\ other one thing that can be done to-day. Hjay go through.—C. J. B., Dutchess County, New York 
There should be plenty of help to push the thing along, * * * 
and I believe it will be interesting for the farmers to 
watch our politicians support a bill of this kind. 
As I am a farmer, and also in the real estate business, I 
have a very good chance to see what the present tax sys- ^ UU1 UiCiC a gU oa many 
tem is doing to the farmers. I believe an average of four farmers that would quit farming if they could get any- 
letters out of five that I receive from prospective farm thing for their farms. It is plain to see if the income 
Get Neighbors to Sign Petitions 
VOUR writing in your paper hits the nail on the 
head. In our county there are a good many 
buyers ask the question, “how much*are the taxes?” 
When I have to tell a man that our taxes are averaging 
about 5 per cent, of the assessed valuation on our 
real estate it does not help to sell farms. Our farms are 
assessed so much higher than any other property that it 
is impossible to make money enough from the aver¬ 
age farm by working from 10 to 14 hours a day, to pay 
the taxes, and give a family what city people call 
a decent living. 
I can show you farms right here that the owners 
are trying hard to sell for half of the assessed valuation, 
and there are no buyers. I can show you farms where 
If you believe in tax reduction sign the petition below, get your neighbor 
to sign it, and send it IMMEDIATELY to American Agriculturist, 
461 Fourth Avenue, New York City. 
tax is cut 25 per cent, the money has to come from the 
real property. Keep at this tax question. We have got 
to have relief or go under. If there is anything that 
I can do to help you I would be glad to do so.—F. E. B., 
Essex Co., N. Y. 
* * * 
Only Five Out of Eighty Pay Income Tax 
T)LEASE send me three or four printed petitions as 
published in American Agriculturist of February 
16th. The Mellon plan of tax reduction is a farce so far 
T----- as helping farmers is concerned. I have been opposed 
the gross receipts from the farm will not pay the taxes, to the soldier’s bonus until lately but how much better 
I can show you that two-thirds of the farms right it would be to pay that in some form than to reduce the 
through this countiy can be bought for a reasonable income tax. Is it not poor business to leave so large 
price, and many of them for less than half what it a class of our best citizens dissatisfied? 
would cost to build the buildings that are on the farms As regards the income tax, we have eighty members 
to-day. Buildings are going without paint, with poor in our Peru Potato Growers’ Co-operative Association, 
roofs, and few repairs. If it is necessary to build a new Inc., with an estimated investment in the farming 
house or barn, it cannot be done, for the 
average farm will not sell for the money 
that the new building would cost. 
I believe there was an ordinance passed 
in some cities a few years ago to exempt 
new buildings from taxes for a term of 
years, do they do that with farms? I will 
say NO. If we paint our house, if we build 
any new building, or if we improve our 
farm, our valuation is raised. A few years 
ago we owned two farms joining, there was 
an old barn on each farm, we tore down 
both barns, and-built one new barn on the' 
one farm. They raised our valuation on 
the farm where we built the new' barn 
about $1000 and they raised the valuation 
on the other farm because we tore the old 
barn down. 
If a man buys a farm and has to give a 
mortgage for nearly all it is worth, WHO 
OWNS THAT FARM? Is it right for a 
man to pay a big tax on that farm and then 
pay 6 per cent, interest to the man that 
owns the farm or holds the mortgage? 
The government will not loan that man 
money, but if it would, how can it help 
him? It would put him more in debt when 
he can’t pay his interest and taxes now. 
I can show you men right here that have 
bought farms, with big mortgages, where 
the children are working long hours, the 
mother _ is working long hours, and the 
father is working long hours, and the 
grandfather, OLD SOLDIERS ARE PUT¬ 
TING IN THEIR PENSIONS, to try and 
keep the farm and pay the taxes. They 
have to work out on the road or any other 
place they can get work to pay these taxes. 
They want to know what they can do to 
kelp the farmers. YOU TELL THEM 
WE WANT LESS TAXES. Then when 
the farmers can all see that it is for their 
interest to all pull together in one big 
CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT FOR 
SELLING OUR PRODUCE, we will not 
need government credit.—W. B., Tioga 
Co., New York. 
* * * 
Taxes Jumped from $18 to $90 
UNCLOSED in this letter you will find 
coupon with our signatures. In 
regard to taxes, I think something has 
to be done or we will have to give them our 
farms. The place I am on is my father’s 
homestead. Years ago the taxes were $18. 
W hen I took the farm they were over $30. 
I his year they were over $90. 
business of over $750,000, in fact nearer $1,000,000. Of 
this number, few if any make wages and interest on their 
investment after paying expenses. Only four or five 
pay an income tax and these only because they have 
outside investments as well as large orchards.—J. B. S. 
Clinton Co., N. Y. 
* * * 
Less Officers, Lower Salaries 
T NOTICE in your paper of the 16th your petition for 
A abolishing the property tax. Plfease send me printed 
petition and I will take it to the Grange and get signers. 
I think it would be a good idea to demand fewer officers 
with reduced salaries. It appears to me that a good 
many of our officers are getting about four times as 
much as they ought to get.—D. S. C., Clarion Co., Pa. 
* * * 
s 
Abolish Property Tax 
T WANT to congratulate you on the stand you have 
1 taken as regards your article of February 16th, 
namely, “ Abolish the Property Tax.” I think you are 
on the right track. I wish you would send me printed 
petitions for signatures as I think I can get hundreds of 
them. I am president of the Rensselaer County Farm 
Bureau and this has got me thinking. I also want to 
thank you for the favorable comments you have made 
at various times of the farm bureau movement.—J. H. 
H., Rensselaer Co., N. Y. 
* * * , ' 
Those Who Get Luxuries Should Pay 
for Them 
T ET all work and all help to pay taxes. Let officers 
be efficient or get out. Let those who revel in 
luxuries pay for them, or get a worth-while occupation. 
Let. all get behind the wagon instead of 
on it. Or let the farmers unite and let 
them taste their own medicine. It’s 
enough—E. A. D., Northampton Co., 
P cl. 
* * * 
TO THE GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATUREAND TO EVERY 
OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIAL IN STATE, COUNTY AND TOWN 
GOVERNMENT IN NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW 
JERSEY. 
WHEREAS, first, taxation has increased in this nation more than four times 
since 1913, and in our State and local governments more than three and a half 
times, and 
WHEREAS, second, this burden of taxation, particularly for State and local 
governments, falls heaviest and directly on farmers and farm property, amounting 
to 16.6% of the farmer’s income in 1922, stopping agricultural prosperity and 
fast becoming absolutely insupportable, and 
WHEREAS, third, the general basis of taxation is INCOME and not PROPERTY 
and 
WHEREAS, fourth, our national. State and local governments have made little 
real progress in cutting out unnecessary officers, government departments and 
appropriation bills since the end of the World War, therefore be it hereby 
RESOLVED: First, that we, the undersigned, are unalterably OPPOSED TO 
THE EXTENSION AT PRESENT OF ALL NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOV¬ 
ERNMENT ACTIVITIES. 
Second, that all of our national and local officers should give immediate at¬ 
tention to THE GRAVE NECESSITY OF LARGE REDUCTIONS IN ALL GOV¬ 
ERNMENT EXPENDITURES, to the reduction of government personnel, to com¬ 
bining and simplifying government departments and activities, to the need of 
short legislative sessions, to smaller expense accounts for public officials, to 
passing fewer laws, and in short, to the necessity for practicing the same economy 
in public affairs that farmers are constantly obliged to practice in the production 
of the necessities of life. 
Third, that we as farmers are not interested in credit or any other unsound 
farm relief legislation, BUT IN TAX REDUCTION. 
Fourth, that taxation, both State and national, be maintained on all luxuries, 
as for example, chewing gum, tobacco, motion pictures, etc. 
Fifth, that tax reduction be made TO ABOLISH DIRECT PROPERTY TAX. 
A REDUCTION OF INCOME TAXES IS NOT SATISFACTORY. The farmer’s 
income is from his property holdings and therefore his assessed valuation, par¬ 
ticularly on paper, is high. The reduction of income taxes, while government 
expenditures are still so high, will inevitably result in greater taxes on property, 
chiefly FARM REAL ESTATE. Signed eventually by 100,000 farmers. 
Name (write plainly). 
Address. 
(Paste blank paper to this petition for additional names.) 
Hitting the Nail on the Head. 
T WANT to tell you that you are hitting 
the nail on the head when you discuss 
the farm tax question. It is one of the 
problems which are of vital interest not 
only to the individual farmer but to the 
permanent welfare of agriculture and the 
country as a whole. 
I am enclosing clipping of a little article 
which was published in the Sunday Courier 
of Poughkeepsie last Sunday. As this 
article points out it is not entirely a ques¬ 
tion of the welfare of the individual farmer, 
but it is a question as to whether whole 
communities are going to continue to 
exist. 
We see farm buyers looking closely into 
the tax rate and the probable future tax 
rate. If a farm is located in a school dis¬ 
trict where the tax rate is 3 per cent, or 
more of the value of the land it immediately 
becomes Avorth less than it would be in a 
district where the tax rate was le#s. The 
loAvercd value necessitates a higher tax 
rate and the higher tax rate forces a lower 
value. And so on ad infinitum. 
The law relative to construction of 
bridges is a similar handicap. A farm in a 
toAvn where several big bridges will soon 
have to be built to take care of the freight 
trucks is worth appreciably less than the 
same farm in a toAvn not having main¬ 
streams and bridges.—F. H. L., Dutchess 
Co., N. Y. 
Time for Action 
TT IS certainly encouraging to see the 
1 interest you have taken in regard to 
trying to have something done in land tax- 
reduction for the farmers. It is high time 
something was done in this matter. It is 
certainly alarming to see the many aban¬ 
doned farms through the country and with 
such conditions you can not expect the 
young people to stay on the farms. Send 
me some blanks and I shall send in what 
names I can secure.—M. J. M., Cattarau¬ 
gus Co., N. Y. 
