The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-15

former state the land value Is 50 mil
lion dollars. The revenue necessary
is four million dollars. The rate I'M
der the single tax system would be
51s per cent, and this despite the fact
that money can be had there for 21s
to 3 per cent. In North Dakota land
would have to be assessed at Az per
cent of its actual, or 9 per cent of its
present valuation. The speaker also
contended that the single tax would
be unjust, and that it would mean
confiscation of property. Only IS per
cent of all taxable property is land
value. This would leave the million-
aire and stockbroker untaXed while
the farmer would pay practically all.
Mr. Schofield for the affirmative
declared that no great enterprise had
ever come into existence without OPP
position.
AntagOnisM Was Expected.
I'VE must" he said, have theory
before we can have reality. Lincoln
saw We're freedom of the slave in mag
ination long before the negro saw
freedom in reality. Theories are the
foundations on which are built some
of the greatest reforms in the world"
The value of land is due primarily
to the presence of community upon
it; not to the whim of a man who holds
it. Assessors would not be dependent
for remuneration on the good will oil
those they assess. He declared our
present system to be the greatest
octopus OF modern times.
From the Luxuries.
Mr.. McCurdy, the third speaker for
North Dakota, after re-stating briefly
the arguments of his two colleagues.
said that one half of our taxes are
derived from the luXuries of life Our
internal revenue is 43 per cent of the
total Ninety-nine per cent of this IS
derived from liquor and tobacco alone,
This is in harmony with the general
principle OF taxation already stated be-
cause those who can afford the most
luNuries can best afford to pay taxes.
The speaker said further that the
proposed system would necessarily
mean free trade and that we could not
afford to compete on an equality with
! cheap foreign labor.
Defect In Assessment.
The defects of the present system
are in the methods OF assessment, not
in the inherent principle. Then TOO
we have various parts of the present
system, apparently ignored on the OPP
| position. Pennsylvania derives Go per
cent of her state revenues from col-
poration tax. This method of taxation
! tends to do away with watered stock.
The income tax, the bulk OF which is
paid by the men of largest salaries,
has proved very successful.
These special taxes have all passed
the experimental stage. They are
present realities. There is perhaps NO
place where all these are used at
present, but they nevertheless all be-
long to the present system and all
have been successful
General Feeling.
Before the close of the debate, it
was doubtless the general feeling that
the boys of North Dakota University
had stated their case most plainly
and had advocated their arguments
most clearly and forcefully.
All of the speakers showed the
marks of training and experience. Mir.
Hutchinson of the negative bore HIM
self easily upon the platform His
logic was keen and clear througout.
Mr.. Cameron, the second speaker on
the negative, showed strongly the
marks of a trained debater and It
would not be easy to say which of the
two last named men made the best
showing, while Mr.. McCurdy, also OF
the negative could not be considered
as lacking in the forensic qualities
possessed by each of the foregoing
debators
The Manitoba men did not lack III
subject matter, but their arguments
were not as we'll arranged as were
those of their opponents. In rebuttal
too the North Dakota men had a little
the best of it as they handled their
points with great ease but with firm
ness and enthusiasm. They forced
conviction upon the audience of their
being thorough believers in the system
they were upholding, and should that
they had gone we'll toward the bot
tom of the question.
After the decision was announced
the two debating teams together with
numerous students and friends of both
institutions attended banquet at the
Antlers in honor of the visiting team.
A very enjoyable feature of the ev-
ening was the music. The orchestra
and glee club, both were choice feat
ures of the evening, and the solo given
by Mr.. Davidson was also we'll ap-
preciated. The selection given by the
glee club was Dudley Bucks Good
Night Song" Mr.. Davidson sang
Jude's 'The Mighty Deep" ana
mighty and deep" were the viands
intellectual and physical, enjoyed at
the Antlers soon after.