The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-27
North Dakota.
PROPOSE A DOUBLE PLAN
HOPE TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET
BY REDUCING EXPENSES AND IN
CREASING THE REVENUE
OPPOSE THE FRANCHISE LAW
Foreign Born Citizens Aroused Over
the Bill to Require a Rigid
Educational Test
for Voters.

LOT FOtefSs
BISMARCK, N D., Jan. 26.-(Special.)-
| The senate committee appointed to 1nVes-
| tigate the state offices and see where it
| was possible to reduce expenses, has
! been at work today in the course of the
| legislative recess, and inquiring of heads
| of departments, where it will be possible
| for them to reduce expenses for clerk
| hire and assistance Senator Hale is
| chairman of the committee State Of
ficials are not inclined to agree that they
| can dispense with any considerable
amount of the assistance now provided
by law. The Investigations of the COM
mittee will cover all the departments of
state and the committee will aim to make
its report as soon as possible, in order
to assist the legislative assembly in de-
termining upon the amount Of funds. that
must be provided for the current bien-
NAL period.
Speaking of the possibilities of raising
the revenues of the state, Senator Cashel
says there are several matters he will
submit to the committees. In the first
| place he thinks the levying of sinking
| fund for the payment of state bonds
| should be looked after. This is author
! ized but the Walsh county senator says
no levy has been made by the state board
| of equalization for three or four years,
! and as there are bonds coming due in the
| course Of the next few years he will sug-
| gest action on that point. Secondly, ne
| believes that the lands belonging to the
several state institutions or a part of
them might be sold, and the interest on
the proceeds of the sale be applied TO the
relief of the state treasury, in defraying
a part Of the expenses of institution
maintenance. "For example," says Mr..
| Cashel, 1.-The state university has a large
! allotment of land from the general gov
LII Low
| were made and say, 100000 worth Of it,
sold, the interest on that at per cent
could be applied to the maintenance fund
/ of the state university and the treasury
| would be relieved to that amount. This
| would work two ways, for it would place
| the lands in the possession of settlers
and it would become taxable, with the
| improvements thereon. The same is true
| of other state institutions. The matter is
| one that is worth looking into and that
is one of my objects in asking for the
appointment Of this committee"
Another matter that will come up be-
| fore the committee is the taxation of
express, telegraph, telephone, dining car
| and ether corporations, under the consti-
! tutional amendment adopted last fall A
| fair rate of taxation on the property and
| incomes Of these corporations in the
state is favored, and will probably be
| recommended.
Reversion to the gross earnings sys-
| tenn Of taxation is another matter that
will be discussed by the committee, al
though it is not yet possible to state
whether a recommendation will be made
favorabIy to the gross earnings plan.
The financial needs of the state would
be the excuse for the gross earnings
system if it is recommended. IT is stat
ed that while there might be a little
balance in favor Of the roads under the
gross earnings plan yet the amount
paid directly into the state treasury
would be greater. AS the law stands now
all roads pay under the direct tax sys-
tenn. Formerly the Great Northern elect
ed to pay under the gross earnings plan,
but the law that made it possible for the
roads to elect the manner of payment
was repealed after hard fight several
years ago. The railroads would doubt
less favor the gross earnings plan, as
it would put their taxation upon def
mite basis. AS the law now stands, there
is different basis of taxation in every
county and township, practically, through
which the roads operate, because of the
varying rates of taxation. The railroads
In the state are now assessed at total
J valuation of $17,000,000, and the amount
they pay directly into the state treasury
is about $4,000 for all purposes. This,
however, is only fraction of the total
amount paid by the roads, as each coun-
} ty, township and school district comes
in with it's tax rate for payment.
The bill for the uniform examination
of teachers by the state department Of
public instruction, which has failed a.
several sessions through the opposition
of county superintendent, who felt tina,
1T was an attempt to infringe upon theil
. prerogatiVes, will probably pass at this
, session. The county superintendent o.
the state have withrawn their opposition
to the bill and are for it, and it has thu
Endorsement of the leading educators O.
the state. State Superintendent Devin,
says he believes the bill will pass withou
serious opposition, and believes 1t will b.
an excellent thing for the teaching inter
ests Of the state. In speaking of the bill
he says:
Under the present system the state Il
getting more teachers than it has schools
There is large number of teachers whC
manage to hold their certificates unde,
. county examinations who would be una
bic to do so under state examinations
unless they improved themselves mate
rally. This bill would have one of two
effects. It would either eliminate this
class Of teachers from the profession, o.
it would cause them SO to improve them
selves that they would become of value
to the profession instead of a drag upoT
it. Another effect Of the bill would be tt
bring about the issuance of certificate:
. good in every county in the state, instead
of the, present system Of county certif
ivates.''
, It is also claimed for the bill that 1
would do away with any favoriusm OF
Partially in the examination of teachers
| such as might prevail under a system o.
county examinations.
The matter of reapportionment of the
7 state is apparently a long way from
l settled. While there is large elemen
! | favoring a large representation in thu
{ | legislature, and q liberal scheme of ap
: portionment there is another elemen
crying economy, as a reason for cutting
3 | down the proposed increase in represen
tation. The Grand Forks Herald comes
: | out in opposition to the Sharpe bill be
/ cause it claims it will add $4,000 to the
: total expenses of the biennial assembly
of the legislature, and for the further
| reason that the hall Of the house of rep
resentatiyes is not large enough to &C
q | commodate the number OF members pro
: | posed, SO. Two other apporfionmen
3 | measures are in, but as they each pro
!, | pose knocking off members here an(
there through the state they promise t.
!, have rough shedding. 1t Is stated tn,
Z senate apportionmert committee MAY
! make report before many days Oh tn,
Sharpe BILL which is the measure mos
n seriously considered at present.
The next Monday will be pay day TO
: | the members Of the legislative assembly
r and they will receive their. first invent,
: days pay. Funds have been short up e