Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-06-03

representatives, in committee of the
whole, in behalf Of the bill doubling the
size of Dakota's legislature, Hon. Joseph
D. Taylor, Of Ohio, presented an array OF
Interesting statistics relative to Dakota.
After giving the area. assessed valuation
and placing the population estimate at
half million souls, he stated that Dako-
ta paid in 1888 a larger amount of inter-
nsl.revenue taxation to the government
on banking capital than did eitker Of
the states OF Arkansas, Delaware. Florida,
Maine. Nevada, New Hampshire, Yer.
mont, or South Carolina and produced
the figures to sustain his statement. He
also said the tax on banking capital paid
by this territory during the same year
was more than that paid by thelstates Of
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
combined. During the same period
Dakota paid IN internal.revenuet taxes. as
shown by the report of the commissioner
of internal revenue, $89,874,25.
Upon the subject Of postal revenue Mr..
Taylor touched briefly. He called atten-
tion to the fact that our territory has now
more than nine hundred postofices, and
that during the last fiscal yearit paid into
the treasury As postal revenue, over and
above all expenditures for the postal
service, SPLITS. The report OF the post.
master general for the last fiscal year
which was introduced in evidence by the
speaker, showed the receipts during that
year from the postal service IN the terri.
tory of Dakota to have been 1913, 1895,
while the entire expenditures of the
postal service in the territory were
1921, ,s93.94.
It was further shown that the land
office fees from the various offices in Da.
kota, after deducting all expenses oi
conducting the Offices and making the
surveys, turned into the treasury a net
profit of $405,26993 for the fiscal year
ending June 3Oth, 1888. This was en-.
tireIy independent of the receipts for the
sales Of land during the same period
which reached an aggregate Of s3,
65O,OOO.
| These figures we're advanced in sup
port of the proposition that the genera
government could afford to pay the ex
pense of an increased nu umber of legisla
tors, which would amount to only $1,000
every two years.
| Mr.. Taylor must have been studying
the record of past legislatures before HI
made his speech in behalf of Dakota
else he would not have hit the truth 81
squarely as in the following extract from
his remarks:
| Mr.. Chairman, it seems to me 1t mus
be apparent to every gentleman who vii
consider the question for singl,
moment that it should not be in th
power of seven men. as it is now unde
the present law of the territory Of Da
kota, BY combining together to contro
| all legislation. These seven men hol,
in their grasp 100000 people. They hol
under their control all that immens
territory. They regulate the erection Q
public buildings. From them emanate
/ 0A euo oAo&4oAoGAOu lOE tudt kIcAG t6IElCOry
covering an area of nearly. four hundre
miles square, and having nearly hur
dred million acres of land, eighty-fiv
! per cent. of which is tillable, ready fo
agriculture, and soon to be occupied b
, the emigrants, who are rapidly maxim
their homes in this territory. If the il
crease of the past be any indication {
, the future, these lands will soon all
!. taken up by busy and prosperou
population.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Taylor
forcible argument the committe
rose and erorted the bill favorabl
tothe house and it was passed without
dissenting voice.
By the figures produced BY Mr.. TIA,
lor it appears that the people of Dakoi
are paying Ito the general governmel
an annual taxation of over half mi
I lion dollars. Yet the government whic
takes and pockets this cold cash persis
in denying to the half million peop
;, who pay it the privilege Of represent
tion ip the halls Of national legislatio
!, nd permits them to remain diafral
chised dependency. There was once
= lrovo1nf;oDorv NOR hoooi rnor <h,o on