The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-05-25
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ISSUED FRIDAY MORNING.
COUNTY AND CITY PAPER.
IA. WARDwELL. &C.. TRoMPsoN
WARDWELL 4 THOMPSON.
TERMS, $500 PER ANNUM
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1891.
FRIDAY. MAY 25, 1891.
ASSESSMENT POINTERS.

Our wise and learned friend the at
torney general Of this great state Of
North Dakota has seen fit to issue a
sort of 'philipic" in rather uncom-
plimentary terms, insinuating IL not
asserting, that the elevator COM
panies are rascals AMI will seek to
cvadc taxation of grain in stock on
May 1st. Our purpose in this arti-
Gle, however, is not To discuss the Pc.
culiar style of Mr.. Standish's Gle.
vator circular but to direct his ut.
tentfon to class OF good, honest, UNI
sophisticated taxpayers, or lax-evad-
crs, living in our neigl,mrjng county Of
Cavalier who are mostly engaged in
the peaceful pursuits Ut agriculture,
and who can give PIONEERS to. the ele-
vator people on the subject of ASSESS
mcnt.
Their. plan is simp!. and is Of a
legal color. Our legislature of 1891
exempted $500 s.raiglls from the total
Of each PERSONS personal assessment.
Well, Farmer Smit', of Cavalier
county, the first year after the pass.
age of the law had a personal assess
ment Of $1,000, mostly in cattle;
hence with the $500 exemption he
only paid.taxcs on $1,000. Now Farm.
er Smith thought thi, {, pretty good
thing, and that summer, while lean
ing over his pillow handles, he set his
think machine in motion and studied
out how he could Improve on this
good thing, because according to the
old proverb "you can't have too
much of good thing" So Farmer
Smith evolved scheme, and when
he went to the alliance meeting he
either unfolded it there, or told it
abroad elsewhere, for his ncighEors
are all onto it. Farmer Smiths
scheme is SIMPLY to give away his
personal property until he has only
$500, at assessors valuation, left; and
therefore with 5000 exemption law
has no personal tax to pay. But it is
in giving away his surplus property is
where Farmer Smiths accumen
shines. During the month Of April,
or some time previous to the assess,
or's visit, he divides his personal pro.
perty among the members Of his fami.
ly, and in the division he carefully
protects each Of the members from
the burden Of taxation by limiting
his gifts to each to about 5000 valua.
ton. When tic assessor comes, John
Smith, the farm.r,lists his two horses
binder and some odd truck as his
snlc possessions. Mary Ann Smith
the wifc,is assessed for the four oxen,
Il couple of colts and tho family COW
John. jr. the 10y, has sumo steers,
Nancy Jane, Tile daughter owns tho
sheep and pigs, and the maiden sister
who lives in the family, owns about
two hundred dollars of miscelIanc.
Gus household stuff, while the three
year old Sally and the baby are charg
cd up with the rest Of the personal
property.
| We understand that one Of the
Langdon city merchants learned tho
lesson from his farmer customers last
year and by judicious distribution
among his relatives got off with ;
very ligh tax on his stock of goods.
But the reader will say how do the,
get the necessary valuation upor
which to collect the necessary taxes
such: a system must bring down thu
total assessment greatly? Well, II
does, VIC do not vouch for tie exact
figures but VIC heard it said that til,
personal assessment in that county !.
reduced from s25O,Gc0 to about on,
tenth of that sum. But the gcniu.
of Farmer Smith has provided fo
that. Owing to the series of dr.,
seasons and hard frosts some years ago
a large amount of land went into the
hands of non-rcsidents. At the as.
SCISSORS meeting. by formal vote anl
agreement, the assessors are direct
cd to tax lands owned by non.rcsI
dents, fifty per cent higher than ad
jaccnt lands owned by residents
And the assessor in his zeal not only
obcys his instructions but gives such
good measure, that the total assess
ment is kept up, the bloated non-re
sidcnt pays the taxes. while the hon
est farmer goes free.
What is the matter with Cavalier
farmers as philosophers of finance?
TARIFF LEGISLATION.