The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-07
North Dakota.
TAXES % Be IEGNHfD
IMPORTANT MEASURE UP BEFORE
THE NORTH DAKOTA Leg
STATURE
FINANCES OF THE STATE
Credit Is Good, but Funds Are
Short = To Provide Seed
Wheat for Destitute
Farmers.
FINANCES OF THE STATE

|
Farmers.
BISMARCK, N. D., Feb. 6.-The impor-
| lance of the Chaffee bill Iegalzing tax
leVies from 1890 TO 1900 is already appar-
ent, as a report from Wells county states
that a question has arisen between the
county and the 500 railroad as to the
! legality of the taxes levied on the prop
| erty of the company in the county and
in several school districts The law re.
quires that all taxes shall be levied by
specific amounts, and the tax levying
authorities, state, county and those of
| other subdivisions, are required to levy
in this way. 1t develops, however, that
| in many instances in the last ten years
taxes have been levied by percentages
| and the courts have held that the taxes
| so levied will not hold. In cases that
have been brought before the supreme
court regarding the legality of railroad
| taxes, this decision has been levied by
percentages and the courts forced to
| compromise their claims on this basis
/ The present cases in Wells county are in
| allegiance, the county having accepted a
part payment, and it is stated suit will
| be brought for the remainder. The
Chaffee bill aims to legalize all tax
/ claims that have attached under past
| leVieS, however the taxes may have been
| levied. A suit to collect taxes wrongly
| levied will probably bring into ques-
| ton the constitutionality of the measure
that aims to legalize the taxes. The cen
| Stitution of the state forbids eX post
facto legislation, but it IS claimed that
! the legislature has the right to legalize
! taxes, and the bill to this effect has the
| approval of the attorney general of the
state.
! The senate appropriation committee
held its first meeting Monday morning
and went over the finances in a prelim-
| mary way. Figures of the states re,
ceipts and expenditures were submit I'd,
and the meeting was devoted to a dis
cussion of ways and means. Members
| of the committee realize that they have
! g difficult task before them, but it will
| be their aim to bring in a report on the
various bills that shall be fair all hound
and at the same time cosider the con-
dftion of the states finances.
Representative Palmer's irrigation bill
| is a copy of the Montana law and is de-
signed to enable the residents of the
semi-arid districts to file on water rights
| build reservoirs and improve their lands
by taking advantage of natural sup
| plies.
Payment of taxes through the state
are steady, as the penalty went into ef-
feet Feb. 1. Many heavy taxpayers held
off their payments to the last moment
to see if the bill for the extension of time
would pass. When the bill was knocked
out they made haste to get into the clear
Had the bill passed large institutions
would have been delayed several months
and the bill, instead of heneiting the
small taxpayers, would have made il
necessary for the state to borrow more
funds.
%%#
The credit CT the state is good at home
and it is an evidence that residents are
not eramped for funds when the $3.50, 00(
of state funding warrants were all taken
within the state in two or three days
from the time of their issuance. Treas
urer Mcmillan had no difficulty in nego-
tlatlng them at the prescribed maximum
rate of interest 6 per cent. The Fargo
| banks and investors took the greatest
| single lot, and the remainder were sold
! to Investors. Inquiries were received by
officials for several times the total
| amount of the issue.
| Two bills have been introduced to make
| 1t easy for farmers in need to get SEED
| grain. One of them provides for a Ter
| on crop for seed grain furnished, and the
! other provides that counties may issue
seed grain bonds and furnish seed tc
| those who need it. After the partial cror
failure OF last Year, there may be sec
lions of the state where it will be neces-
sary to give aid to some farmers.
Senator Hale's bill providing for the re.
| tirement of staff officers of the state
| guard, upon their own request or upor
the volitior of the governor after they
| have served two years, has been recon.
| mended to pass by the committee on mill.
tary affairs
The primary election bill has not vet
| been reported from the committee on
elections, and in order to stir I'D the re-
| quisite interest in the bill the Grand
Forks Herald, which is one of its chief
supporters, urges people in all parts of
the state to prepare petitions and for
ward them to their representatives.
The members of the committee. an
pointed to investigate the Irvine plant
at the penitentiary and report ways and
| means for its maintenance for the ensu-
| ing year. have made their official visit.
While there are many demands on the
| state for funds, the committee realizes
| that the plant is a desirable institution
| and should have a fairer chance than was
accorded 1t last year when the crop sea-
son was sadly against it and the demand
! for Irvine small.
A bill for a change in the manner of
taxation of grain in elevators has been
| introduced in the house. The present
law provides for the listing and taxation
Of grain in elevators to the company or
firm owning the elevator, the company
having lien on the grain for taxes if
/ it is not owned by them. Under the pro-
posed bill the grain would be assessed to
| the owners, if on storage, and the coun-
! ties must look to the owners of the grain
| for their taxes and not to the elevators.
! 1t was argued when the present law was
enacted that the assessment to owners
of grain on storage did no good, for the
reason that it might be taken out and
sold between the time of the assessment
| and the time when taxes were collectable.
! If directly assessed to the elevator COM
| pany it would be their business to see
] that they got the taxes before the grain
was taken out, and that was the object
of the provision of the law giving the
lien.
|