States can do much to relieve agriculture by keeping freight charges
uniform and reasonable on State traftic, and by establishing a warehouse
and grading system so that fanners mayhave convenient and common
warehouse and elevator privileges. They could then store their grains
under State regulations, where it would be safe, and warehouse receipts
could be used in trade when necessary and, in emergencies, might be
used in payment of local taxes. . A warehouse receipt for wheat is good
collateral at any local bank. With warehouses regulated by State
laws farmers could better suit their convenience and inclinations
many times in the matter of disposing of their grains. Where there
are no conveniences on the farm for storing grain it must be disposed



AGRICULTURAL DEPRESSION. 101

of all at one time, and this tends to inflate the market and reduce
prices.
State laws can do much to aid not only farmers but all classes of
producers by regulating charges in all quasi public institutions, as
mills, express companies, and in keeping cliaiges of public officers
within reasonable bounds. State laws can and ought to establish and
maintain a just and equitable system of assessment and taxation, and
protect all rights under collection laws.
EQUALIZE TAXATION.
Among remedies by State legislation, perhaps none is more impor-
tant than to equalize taxation. Let owners of all iiroperty bear their
proper proportion of the public obligations. Prom what has gone
before in this report it is evident that an immense amount of personal
property wholly escapes the eye of the assessor, and hence its value
never gets onto the tax rolls.
