Show Farmers Tax Tat Money l Used to Improve Country Lif Life Farm taxes have ha increased ed nearly per cent in the last 15 years whereas land values are now non approximately ap- ap approximately ap approximately proximately 20 0 o per pel cent higher thanin than thanin thanin in 1913 reports the Bureau of Agri Agri- Agricultural Agricultural Agricultural cultural Economics United States i Department D of Agriculture in an analysis of what becomes of farmers farm farm- farmers farmers ers tax money Most farmers the bureau says donot do donot donot not pay any direct taxes to the Fed Fed- Federal Federal Federal eral Government and arc lIe little af- af affected affected af affected by changes in the Federal in- in income income in income come tax They pay taxes on their real estate and in most cases on i personal property to the local county or township treasurer The They pay Ii- Ii IiI li license I cense cense foes on their automobiles and a tax on each gallon allon of gasoline g they buy bur unless they live in n one of the three States Stine somewhere where no such tax is pay n levied In some States SUites they pay n small poll tax and in a few States Stales a small amount of State income tax taxIs taxis taxis Is paid by farmers I Most of the direct taxes that n a farmer pays says the report rt are arc I based on his land and buildings s and andon andon on his automobile he undoubtedly pays other taxes in the price of goods that he purchases but their amounts and kind arc are matters of dispute The first item of expense in the average community is ia the school I from third one-third to one-half one of nil pub public lie lic money spent into schools Roads probably account for about a fourth of the total 1 The salaries and ex- ex expenses expenses ex expenses of or local and county officers arc a small part of the total 1 expendi expendi- expenditures expenditures tures hires and finally there is the amount that goes to maintain the State government gov gov- government government There arc several reasons wh why both schools and roads cost more now than they did 15 16 years ears ago In the first pI place ace all prices have risen so that if we were only get get- getting getting get getting ting the same amount of schools and the same kinds of roads now that that vs W wa had in 1913 their cost would be hi higher hr The fhe number of children attend nt- nt nt tend ns ng school has increased b by over third third one due partI partly to the fact that the States Stales have been rising the ages of children covered by sly compulsory compulsory seh hol h ol cl laws and partly because par par- parents par par- parents parents want their children to receive more education Th avera average e length of the school term has been increasing More chil chil- children dren then are arc going to high schools than and the education of a high highs s hool student costs over twice as much h as that of one in grammar school hooI All AU of thes these items have been I factors in calling for more money for education Every effort has been I made also to raise raise the quality of education tion and with such suh changes I have hava come ome increased salaries Mu-h Mu the same stor story is true of I increased expenditures for roads La- La Labor Labor La Labor bor and materials cost more We Weare are arc building vastly better roads and giving them much harder harJer usage It cost costs more to maintain them Taxes have gone up partly because of the general rise in the price level leveland an partly because the average com com- community com com- community community wants thin things 3 which require more more o and more taxes to buy |