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WHO PAYS YOUR TAXES?

“ If the inquisitorial system should be adopted it wouldmake these facts so plain, that, with its offensiveness in otherrespects, it would ultimately secure not only its own repeal, butthe abolition of all personal taxes.”

This editorial utterance called forth the following letterfrom George W. Ellis:

“To the Editor of the Sun.

“ Sir: The editorial in this morning’s Sun entitled ‘ TheProposed Tax Bill’ presents the question thereby raised withadmirable clearness and force.

“ The advantage to real estate owners of freedom from tax-ation of personal property is appreciated by city owners, andthe opposition comes from the farmers.

“ The farmers argue that the money lender gets his principaland interest easily, while the owner of the farm works hard, andcannot in recent years make a profit on the farm product, tosay nothing about the depreciation in market value of the land.

“ The real remedy for the farmer is to cheapen the rate ofinterest on his mortgage, and to increase the demand for hisfarm products.

“ The only way to do this is to increase the supply of per-sonal property in his locality.

“ Encouragement to owners of personal property to locatetheir country seats or business in New York State wouldresult in increased population, with consequent demand forfarm products, and cheaper railroad rates and better transitfacilities, until the market value of land in farming parts of theState would bring prices in proportion to the attractions ofnature.

“ In New York the real battle, is to convince the farmer thatthe removal of taxation from personal property is the firststep in the direction of his own pecuniary improvement.”