The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1907-05-25

Il
the assessed valuation is the fear that
the state board Of equalization will
not take similar action regarding the
railway property. The state board
has the power of directly taxing the
value of that property and local as
SCISSORS and county boards must keep
hands off. 1t is asserted that North
Dakota board would not have the
Il nerve to assess the railroads twice as
ntuchias the state boards of Montana
or South Dakota This is matter
that would have to be entrusted en-
tirely to them. With the right kind
of men composing that body they
would be just to the public OF course
it would make no more difference to
the railroads how the total amount of
taxes were raised than to any other
property owners, except the possible
Influence it might have. on other states.
The entire plan of assessment in
this state should be changed AT pres
ent it is a law of cross purposes. It's
a fight between the railway corpora
tions and the smaller corporations and
individuals. Zach feels that some
other interests are escaping with less
taxation.
In the counties the present system
of township assessors should be SUI
| perseded by a county assessor. Under
the plan now in vogue, it is fight
between the country districts on the
one side and the cities and villages
on the other. The township assessor
is in a small locality, where the own
ers of the property are his neighbors
and frequently lifelong friends. 1t is
natural for him to want to favor them
on the plea that other assessors are
doing the same thing. County asses
sors would work on a broader scale
and would be less influenced by per-
sonal feeling. They would not have
the same incentive to make good
fellows" of themselves.
The same property in towns is
usually assessed higher than on farms.
This is true of buildings, especially.
A Fargo man is authority for the
statement that he invested $4,000 in
buildings on his farm and similar
amount for his town residence. In the
I own he escaped with an $500 assess
1 ment and the township assessor on
property of the same value fixed the
assessment at $780, There are many
similar instances.
There is little of justice and right
under the present methods. Instead
Of being assessed at anything like the
real value, or even at the fanciful 40
per cent of the value, much of the
property escapes at less than or 10
per cent. The results are disgraceful
The system is a premium on fraud
and evasion and tax lodging is made !
easy.
The plan to double the assessed VAL
uation will fall far short Of remedying
all the existing evils, but it will be a
step in the right direction and may
'esult in an awakening of the public
conscience to the adoption of more
honest and a fairer plan
az Ireland is to continue homerule-
less.
f1' "Reformer'' schmitz of Frisco
gave reform a black eye.
ey Some Iowans admit the failure
Of prohibition in hawkeyedom.
EA Jurymen are as scarce in Idaho
rs farm hands in North Dakota.
"a 1t is expected that Attorney Gem
sral Bonaparte will touch off the pow
/ der trust.
81 The Chicagoans who are plan
/ ming the big dinner for the tramps
might add the motto that while there
is life there's soap.
GS Senator Tillmans pitchfork ad-
l dresses on the race question have
enabled the South Carolinian to in
vest heavily in mining properties. He
may be forced to continue lecturing,
however, while awaiting dividends.
ga The labor VOTE" which has been
a political bugaboo for the past quar-
ter of a century, is already being held
up as threat for the 1908 campaign.
Its possibilities are great, but it is
more serious in theory than in prac-
tice. It was resultless in the sally
that President Gompers made in the
political campaign of 1906, when he
branded lot Of congressman, includ-
| ing Uncle Joe" Cannon, for slaughter
It Is probable that in the next cam
paign the intelligent members Of the.
labor union will continue to exercise