Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-09-28

a good speech. johnson Nickeus of James
town wanted to know what power the
county commissioners had to cancel the
assignments, but he was not satisfied with
Mr.. McNaught's answer. After several
more had spoken, Auditor Ward, over
whose name the famous order for the tax
alton OF the railroad lands was issued, took
the floor and made the fur fly. He dis
puted many statements made by Mr.. Nc
Naught and said he thought that the North
ern Pacific should not be permitted to hold
over 2,0OO,OOO acres of land without paying
taxes thereon. He did not think Mr.. Nc
Naught's comparisons of the amounts paid
Dy the other companies in the territory
and that paid by the Northern Pacific was
fair statement of the case The other
companies did not have the immense land
grant, but every acre of land along their
lines not used in the operation of the road
paid its just proportion of the tax. At this
juncture
THE CONFERENCE WAS WARM.
MIR. Ward said that if the lands and pro-
perty of the railroads of the territory were
taxed the same as individual property the
amount of annual tax paid the territory by
the corporations would be over S1,OOOOOO in
stead of 100000, as at present In
reply to Auditor Ward and Mr..
Nickeus, the great railroad attorney
used some red hot sentences, but the room
was soon cooled off by Governor Church's
pacifying remarks and the commissioners
went into executive session. In this they
failed to agree and adjourned until 8
O'Clock this evening, the last proposition
being that the counties along the line of
road which receive share of the gross
earnings tax accept the proposition of the
Northern Pacific and cancel the assess
ments, the road to make separate settle
ment with the outlying counties,
THE EVENING SESSION.
AT the evening session speeches were
made by Mcknight, several OF the county
commissioners. Governor Church and
Auditor Ward. A settlement with the
counties along the line of the road was
finally effected by the passage of the fol-
lowing resolutions:
Resolved, That we, as repre-
sentatlves OF our respective counties,
hereby make the following proposition to
tae Northern ala Pacific Railroad company, in
adjustment OF the questions of the assess
ment OF its lands and Of the payment Of a
tax upon its gross earnings. viz:
Ihat we Will, on or before the 31st day
OF October, A. d. 1888, upon payment by
said company into the territorial treasury
OF o. an taxes now due or past due based upon
It's gross earnings, interstate commerce in
cluded, take such action as boards of county
commissioners OF our respective counties
as shall cause to be stricken from the tax
lists OF such counties all taxes levied dur
ing the year 1887 and prior thereto. unon
!ne iands OF said railroad company lying
in whole or in part within the limits Of Of
such counties. The vote by % Counties M
thereon being as follows, viz: Ayes-Cass.
Stutsman, Burleigh, Morton, Stark. Noes
Barnes. Counties not represented -Kidder.
| and Billings.
Inc outlying counties represented were:
Eddy, Steele, Trail, Mclean. Mcintosh.
Emmons and Wells. The commissioners
OF these counties are now in consultation
WIN solicitor Mcknight and an effort
Will be made to effect an amicable settle-
lnent with them. ~ 'N''Ao-
The action here to-day leaves the matter
OF railroad taxation with the legislature
and the liveliest tilt on the subject Of rail.
road taxation in the history of the territory
may be expected when the solons meet
next winter.
The counties were represented as fol-
lows:
CASE; Young, VIM. Strehlow. c. w.
hedmon, James Holes and A. B. GuptiIl.
Barnes-D. n. Green, Darb O'Walley, w.
renee.
Stutsman-Barlow, Elder, and Putnam.
Burleigh--E. s. Neal, NJ. j. Edgerly.
M0rton-H. S. Parkins. Geo. PEOPLES, j.
j. Luck and G. H. Wheeler.
Stark-T. S. Underhll.
Eddy-By District Attorney Cleary.
McLean-James Bartrow.
McIntOsh-C. v Basye.
Emmons-Wm Yater.
Steele-John l.. Wilcox, John Oxton.
Martin Hanson, Louis Thompson and At
t0rney c. J. Paul.
Traill-Peter Herfrandson, r. j. John.
son, Jos. kjelsberg and Olaf Aune.
Wells-E. Spokesfeld and Mark Kady.