Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1881-03-18
Hen. ). F. wallece Returned.


council, arrived here on yesterdays train
and feeling that our citizens would lik'
to hear from some reliable source wha
had been done in the Legislature the pas
winter, The Alert representative proceedct
to into view the gentleman:
Reporter. Mr.. Wallace. would yo,
object to give The Alert some information
as to what has been done in the. legisla
ture during the session just clos. ="
NJ. Wallace. ''Wcadjourned Monday
the 7,h inst, after Sc days session. NJ
other roads being open, we had to 60 by
the way Of Sioux City, Missouri Valley
via Chicago and Madison, to re ch St
Paul. All Of the countrv through Ne.
braska, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin is one
immense snow bed three feet deep. and on
our way home We learned from converse.
tion with gentlemen from the great stock
ranges west that immense damage has
been done; in some instances ranches have
lost all their cattle. Great suffering ex-
lists among farmers from lack Of fuel and
other supplies. This is not to the point,
50 will try to give you some idea of what
has been done in the Legislature. The
rapid growth of the territory has brought
! before this Legislature many bulls for new
court houses, juiis and school houses, for
village charters, etc Others looking to
town organizations. There has also been
great deal of what is called "local lcgis.
lation." The Hills and mining counties
dem nd Il great deal Of SPECIAL legislation,
being special because it covers mining in-
tcrests and then what we call the COW
counties. In the latter they want laws to
fence grain and let cattle range, while III
the grain counties they want cattle heried
the first great measure before the leg!s-
laturc to attract public attention was to
change the system Of taxing railroads.
That attracted great deal OF attcntion,
and was regarded as the most important
measure before the legislature. After in
vestigation Of the subject it was found
that the system Of taxing roads up" their
gross earnings was the most equitable
and the legislature refused t" make any
change in the law. Mr. Wells, who was
chairman OF the committee on ra:lroa Is in
the house, took all active part in t:,at dis
cusslon, as against any change in the law,
and aided greatly in ieteutiny the bill.
'r1., r ,,,,, ,,ta w t5,t
of taxing bullion in the mining counties.
It was found that it would be very iujuri-
Gus to the mining inter SITS. 1t would
place those desiring to open new mines
under a great disadvantage, placing great
burden IN item, and result i'll the Hban
dnnment Of new enterprises, and would
prevent eastern capitalists from investing
in th. territory.
%"Thc next IN easure before the body was
the exemption" law, making radical
change in that. That was under consid-
e'ation for long time, bu: after a thor
uugh discussion, 10 which Mr.. Wells and
others took an active part against its re-
peal, the bill was defeated and no change
WAS made. understand that it has been
circulated al und town that Mr.. Wells
favored change l wish t, correct that
impression, for he opposed any change in
it whatever.
'The next important measure was a
change in the tax law, introduced by Hon.
r. A. w. Fisher. It was deemed best to
make change in the date Of assessing
from February 10 May, so that the assess
"r would Lave better opportunity 10 as
scSs the property during that month than
in any other time OF the yer. For in
stance, p great many are what are called
summer furlncrs," seed their farms end
harvest, and after The work j. over, spirit
their stock into the freightng or timber
regions aud thus escape being assessed;
but under the present system they will hc
here and will be assessed, and held for the
,ax. Mr.. Wells and nearly al the mem
hers assisted Mr.. Fisher in passing this
law. Under the new law the assessment
takes place M,y 1st; due first Mnnda, in
Nov.mber; deiip quent first Monday iu
February, and sale first Monday in Oc'o-
bcr Equalization first Monday in July
In consideration of it being a hard wiuter.
and many Of the farmers unable to pay
their taxes the time tor payment of pen
atty on taxes due ia extended 60 DAYS
>, l., =
,.F penalty will te quite re.iet to our
people generally. We also fund in ST me
counties in the territory assessors assess
ing breaking and forcing homestead and
PIE empsion settlers to pay tax on their
breaking. A bill was introduced "nd
passed cxympting government lands from
taxs tissn. 1t was supported by the north
crn members and ''gangsrs" generally.
"G'hefc was bill introduced tor the
pu pose of taxing express companies ana
tel graph companies. That taxing eA
press companies was d feated, believing
that it wou place heavy burdens upon
settlers on the extreme frontier where ex-
press matter is carried by stage long
dis,arce, aud is already very high. If
we had passed the bill the express COM
panies would haze increased their charges
thus throwing the burden upon the peo~
ple of the frontier, who p.trnnize the
com panies largely, and are already heavily
bu,deneo They did pass the bill to tax