The Black Hills Union And Western Stock Review

It is not generally known that the democrats are pledged, by their platform in this state, to the enactment of a law that will exempt from taxation practically all the residence property in the cities and towns, says the Vermillion Republican, and this, too, at the expense of the farmers. One of the planks in their platform reads as follows:

"We favor the enactment of such laws as will exempt from taxation the house occupied by its owner, and other improvements upon land in connection with the home, to the total amount of $2,500.00."

This was evidently put into the platform as a sop to catch the voters before they realize its significance. It will be noticed from a reading of the plank that it is only the buildings and not any part of the land that is to be exempted. The land will be assessed at its value exclusive of the value of the residence and other buildings used in connection therewith; but unless the buildings are worth more than $2,500.00 they will not be assessed at all. In the case of farmers the land is usually many times the value of the dwelling house, so there would be no material reduction in the assessed value of farm property. On the other hand, the value of residence property in the cities and towns consists almost wholly in the cost of the buildings. The assessed value of building lots in the cities and towns average $250.00; but are occupied, if occupied at all, by buildings worth many times that amount. But unless the house has an assessed value of more than $2,500.00, it is to be wholly exempt from taxation.

In the city of Vermillion there are probably not more than six or seven residences that are assessed as much as $2,500.00. The result of the proposed law, therefore, will be to exempt practically every dwelling-house in the city, and the same is true of all the cities and towns in the state, from taxation. But the amount of revenue necessary to carry on the business of the county cannot be cut down. It requires a fixed amount to be levied and collected every year; and whenever one piece of property in the county is exempted from taxation the amount of taxes on all the balance of the property in the county must be increased proportionately; so that when residence property in cities and towns is exempted from taxation, as the democratic state officials are pledged to do if elected the taxes on other property, which consists principally of farm lands, will have to be increased proportionately. In other words, the democrats are pledged to exempt all the residence property in the state from taxation at the expense of the farmers.