Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-23
Thursday, January q, 1908.

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In vain effort to deny the
increase of taxation for the year
1907, the Webster World publishes
a column of figures giving the state
levies for the years 1892 to 1907.
There is nothing original in the art
icle as it is matters sent out from the
Crawford headquarters and has been
going the rounds of the insurgent
press. ft serves to illustrate the
straits to which they are driven in
the matter The figures as given are
undoubtedly correct, but it would be
more to the point if the World would
publish the amounts actually appro-
'priated, together with the valuations,
for the said period of years. A state
ment that in the year 1904 the state
tax levy was three mills; in 1905, 4
mills; in 1906, z mills and in 1907,
4.25 mills, sheds but little light upon
the question before the voters
increased taxation. 1t is true that
1.25 mills of the 1907 levy is for the
Irvine plant, but the article does not
give the levy for 1908 which is 4
mills. 1t does claim however that j
mill of the 1907 levy is made neces-
sary by deficiencies left over from
1905. This is an absolute falsehood
as any one may discover upon inyes-
tigation. II 3 mills Qeaving out the
Irvine plant levy were sufficient for
all purposes in 1907 Including the
alleged deficiency. how does il come
that 4 mills are required for l9OSS
In considering the state levy by
means of the mills proposition, it
must be borne in mind A mills
levy in 1908 would be the equiva-
lent of a g mills levy in 1900. In
other words, the valuation is the
basis of taxation. Valuations have
been increased, the levy is higher,
hence the increase Of taxation. For
instance, take the valuations upon
which tax extentions were made for
Day county for the years 1901, 1908,
1905 and 1907:
Valuation Total Tax State Tax
1901, "a, 299,2 54 3 99,96654 $i3,757. so
1903, 5,l60,163 i32,943 IL 23,222 IL
1905, 5,263.57l l4o,026 % 2l,o57 90
1907, 6.l09,066 1877 ,9076s 25.963 IS
Thus it will be seen that there is
an increase OF valuation in Day
county OF nearly million dollars
Ito be exact $S45,495) and an
incl ease of state tax OF $4,905.66.
II the World will publish the amount
Of appropriations from 1892 to 1907,
it will be seen that the last legisla-
ture(denominated by Gov. Crawford
as my legislature) made the most
extravagant appropriations in the
history Of the state, exceeding by
$650.000 the largest appropriations
heretofore made. Notwithstanding
this and a 4.25 mill levy in 1907 and
a 4 mill levy in 1908, it is admitted
by the state auditor that there will
be deficiency at the close of the
Crawford administration OF over
$45O,000. All the sophistry of the
World and its workers in the
Crawford cause will not alter the fig
ures on the farmers tax receipt.
The fact remains that the present
administration lowered bank assess
ments and raised farm assessments;
that it created numerous Offices and
raised the salaries Of various officials;
that il violated every pledge Of
economy made to the voters in the
campaign. Crawford and his speak
ers denounced on the stump the stall
wart faction as "lootsrs." Do you
not suppose that if there was any
lcoting done by the stalwarts that
the evidence would not have been
produced ere thiss II the stalwart
administrations can be characterized
= looting, what can BE- the proper
characterization 81 the Crawford
administration The taxpayer, in
the face Of his tax receipt will
require more convincing argument
than that Of the World that his taxes
are no higher under q reform admin
istration than under previous stall
whit direction.
II - issue Of the Oh inst the