The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-07
BURKE MAKES A
TALK ABOUT
DODGERS
Those Who Fail to Pay Tax
Come in For Roast-Ad-
dress interesting.

Valley City. N. D., June THE adj
Dakota Municipal league. which closed
its session last night, was quite in
teresting.
He paid glowing tribute to the
educational institutions of the state
body in the state could escape getting
a first class education. He praised
the wisdom OF the men who provided
the state with 100000 acres of land
as an endowment of the state schools
and which would support them free
of the burden OF taxation when their
buildings were completed.
The chief executive of the state
complained that the present custom
in the state of assessing property at a
cost lower than it's actual market
value worked hardship on the man
who would not dissemble or cover up
his property and the man who could
not cover it up. Taxation in all civil
lied communities is necessary. If a
man lived to himself in wilderness.
he would have no taxes. but he would
have none Of the conveniences, neces-
sites and comforts of civilization. The
property of man must be taxed, the
only difficulty lies in the failure of
governments to distribute the burden
in just and equitable manner.
In the judgment of Governor Burke
there is but one method of taxation
which Is free from the charge of in
justice. and that is to assess all prop
erty at it's market value. This is de-
sirable in many ways. Many cities
and towns in the state cannot have
modern conveniences because their
debt and tax limit is so low under the
statutes that they cannot raise suffi-
cient taxes or issue bonds for such
improvements. If any city raises their
assessment, they pay more than their
proportionate share of the county and
state taxes.
The present law is ample and pro-
vides for the assessing of property at
fair market value. The law is not
lived up to. Governor Burke made
certain recommendation relative to as
sessment and taxation in his inaugur-
al address last winter, but the legis-
lature did not see fit to live up to
them. His first Recommendation was
that all property be assessed at its
value and the second was that the
assessor list all property and where
he had any reason to doubt that the
citizen was not giving in all of his
property, he be placed under oath and
required to swear to the list. Also
that the assessor be empowered to
summon witnesses before him, books,
papers. etc.. and ascertain mans
taxable property. That the boards of
equalization exercise a like power.
This, in his judgment. would bring as
sessment and taxation down to as
near an equitable base as possible.
Governor Burke dwelt at length on
the sin of tax lodging. He declared
the man was as great law breaker
who withheld his property from taxa
ton, as the man who beat his wife or
robbed the unprotected stranger. How
were We to enforce any law il the
leaders of the community broke the
law habitually in giving in their as
sessable property. The failure to dis
tribute the burden of taxation equally
and without representation caused the
revolution; it is causing discomfort to-
day. 1t is true that we have repre-
sentation, kind of representation,
but we do not tax all men equally.
The poor man with his all in house
and lot and household goods pays a
much higher tax. relatively than the
man with much wealth which can be
hidden. This is unjust and will cause
serious trouble if not remedied. The
man is the true patriot who obeys all
of his country's laws just as much as
the man who dies in battle, indeed he
is the greater patriot, for on him de-
ponds the continuance of democratic
form of government.