Show OTHERS VIEWS I WHAT SHALL WE DO DOTO DOTO TO BE SAVED Dear Editor Once upon a time a rich man said to a sage What shall I do doto doto doto to be saved 1 and the Nazarene replied Sell all your property and give it to the poor and then follow me The rich man whose example is followed by the big officials officials officials of of- congressmen and financiers ers in the U. U S S. S A. A kept all he had and was greedy for more Since then the advice has been reversed and mammon says Take from the poor and give to the L nu The balance sheet is all In favor favor favor fa fa- fa- fa vor of the big shots whose greed knows no lImi limit t. t Senator McKeller of Tennessee pointed out in the recent congress th that t the government pay roll is an increase of since 1916 and further further further fur fur- ther stated at present prices all aU of the three leading crops crops cotton cotton wheat and corn would not be suffIcient sufficient sufficient suf suf- to pay these government government government gov gov- No then if it takes all of the three principle crops to pay less than a million government employees what is the other of our population population population lation to live on 1 Then if we add adda a few hundred thousand others on state county and municipal pay rolls besides presidents of big business concerns drawing from ten thousand to a hundred thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand and fifty thousand dollars a year it would seem that there is not much left for the producers of all this wealth If we are to be saved there must be a retrenchment and the tax burden lifted off the farmer and the laborer Secretary Hyde tells us that agriculture Is the basic Industry of ot the nation an Industry that the nation cannot exist without The farmer Is fast being taxed out of his possessions A few more decades will see the small farmer taxed out of existences ce The only thing to save us Is 16 to fo abolish the property tax and legalize a avery avery avery very low rate of interest This would relieve him from the necessity necessity necessity sity of selling his crops in the fall when prices are arc the lowest When the state shall have taken over all the farm land for lor delinquent delinquent delin delin- quent taxes then what If It we are to be saved the farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers must make malce combined and concerted concerted concerted con con- effort to abolish the property property property prop prop- erty tax so that he may be secure secure secure se se- se- se cure in the ownership of his hold hold- ings The farmer is to be sold out If It the farmer Is la to be sold out either for taxes or Interest then he he has no security and but little incentive to improve and develop his property A warranty deed in such case is s worth but little Farmers what are arc you going to do to be saved Yours truly A. A E. E V ED EDWARDS ARDS |