Where Wright Is Wrong

In the Michigan Farmer of Jan. 16, aunong the comnmnica.tfons is one from a man who hails from St. Joseph coumty, and Who signs hlimself John Wrilght. The last paragraph of hls communicatioii is as follows : As for our fcaxes, they remata high. Our eounty and state taxes are ent.irely too high. Why, what a scramlile candidatos have to get there ! Salarles were ïixed whem farmers' produce was a good deal higher than at present. I see supervisors in some counties have cut down salaries. I was talking wlth a good old super, visor and an ex-member of the legislfiture about the great expense of keeping np Ann Arbor Uniiversiity, and he said the farmers are taxed hiigh to edúcate tliie lawyers who coime back and beat the farmers. Mr. Wright is Dead "Wnong. Or his informant to. He is talking about something wirth which he is not familia-r. Neither himself mor any other tax-payer of Michigan has had to pay one cent for the education of any of the lawyers of Michigan. It lis our pleasure to state to Mr. Wi ight, his supervisor friend, and the cii lzeng of tbiB commonwealth who are not familiar wütih the fact, that the' la w depait.ment is and has been for 25 years, self-sust.ahiing. Some years $10,000 net have been realiaed from the inoome of the law depiartment. " Here is a lltttle table of receiipts and expenses of the iaw. department lor the past three years, that we especially commead to Mr. Wright and the public ïn general for perusal : Beceipts for 94 - - $26,015.00 Expenses for 94 - - 22,104.45 Net profit - - - $3,919.55 Receipts lor '95 - - $31,305.00 Expenses for '95 - - 22,180.27 Net profit - - - $9,174.73 Receipts for '96 - - - $30,785.00 Expenses for '96 - - 28,233.98 Net profit - - - $2,551.02 Dnrins the past year a change was made in the law course extending it ,to three years, and the consequent lúrlns Ol extra professors and lielp increased the expenses. There was a time wheii the levw department had only four lecturers or professors ; now there are ten resident and three nion-resddent professors. It was thought that the effect of extendiing the law course to three years would lessen the number of students, but euch has not been the iact. The indications now are that mext year the attendJance wiU reach 800, which will increase the receipts to $40,000, while the expenses will not be increased. Another thing that it might be well to remember, is the fact that neither Mr. Wriight nor any ofther person is burdened wih taxation on account of the TJaiversity. The expense to a farmer who is oa the assessment poll for $1,000 is 16 2-3 cents ; or om $3,000 he pays 50 cents lor the support of this grea-t Uaiversirty that bas given the state such a grand repTitatton throughout the world, and heliped so many thoueands of iits clüldreu, to become educated and prominent men and women. It ie the farmer's sons and daughters who are benèfilted by this school; they compose far more thaa onehalí oí the studente, and y et when ie cities and villages are taken ofi the assessment rolls of the state the farmers will be found to pay only about 1-3 oi the taxes. Then again, ttoie farm property as a general thiog, is not assessed as high in proportdon. to its real valué as is city property, and that is another favor to tho farmer. It is not the farmer, who generally has a famiiy of sous and daughters ■ñivo wlll seek an education, that is lmt-t by the oost of the UnAversilty, but it is the large property holder in the city or vinage wlio getierally has no elidieren, and whfse taxes mount up into the thousands, who is treated uinjustly if any one. But for sorae reasoa he is the one who seldom protests, but is glad. that the ehüdren of his Bbate may receive a fine eduoatipn, and become noble men and women ïn part at hls expense.