Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1908 — YOUR TAXES. [ARTICLE]

YOUR TAXES.

In trying to break the force of the charge that the Republicans, in managing the affairs of the state, had raised the tax rate in order to get money to meet their extravagant expenditures, Governor Hanly, in his speech before the Republican state convention, said that the rate had only been raised 1.35 cents on the SIOO of taxable property. He said that the present rate, as fixed by the last legislature, was only 33.35 cents and that the last rate fixed by the Democrats was 32 cents. But Governor Hanly did not tell all of the truth. The Democratic rate of 32 cents Included three cents for the state debt sinking fund. This left the rate for general purposes at 29 cents. The present Republican rate includes nothing for the state sinking fund, which leaves the rate for general purposes at 33.35 cents, an increase of 4.35 cents in the tax rate for general expenses. But this is not all the story* Not only have the Republicans, through their waste and extravagance, been compelled to raise the rate of taxation for general state expenses from 29 cents to 33.35 cents, but the assessed value of taxable property has been increased 60 per cent since the 29-cent rate was fixed by the Democrats and found sufficient for the state’s needs. As taxes at the 33.35 cents rate are now collected on 60 per cent, higher valuation, the people can get an idea as to why their burden has been growing heavier. The farmer has had a proportionately bigger part of this load put on him, but all other real estate owners have been hard hit by the same processes, as have also all other taxpayers.