Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-04-02
LET US REASON TOGETHER.

charges and counter charges are
being made by both factions as no
the fairness of the others arguments.
Now, Mr.. Voter, | am going to pre-
sent to you few facts for your con-
sideration. The only question in
controversy is whether or not the
first reform" administration has
been extravagant or not and whether
or not state taxes are any higher.
Now few fundamental principles
regarding taxation. Taxes are levied
to pay the running expenses OF the
government, whether county, state
or national, and to pay debts con-
tracted by the respective govern
ments. In this instance the state
government is in controversy. In
arriving at the amount of taxes, two
things must be taken into considera-
ton, the assessed valuation and the
appropriations. The appropriations
of the last legislature were 81, 22o,-
600 in round numbers. The assessed
valuation of property in South
Dakota for 1907 was about $780,
600, and in 1908 it will be substan-
TALLY the same, because at the meet
ing of the state board of assessment
and taxation last month there were
practically no changes made Now,
then, if you have to raise S2,225,OOO
on an assessment of S260,000,000 it
is an easy matter to figure the per-
centage you will have to make. In
this case it will be s mills, provid-
ing everybody pays all his taxes.
This is as absolutely true as that 2
and 2 makes 4. Is this clear? |
challenge any insurgent or anybody
else to prove the contrary. The
present reform" administration lev
led state tax for 1907 of 3 mills
which will produce $7S0,000 less A
per cent collection fees, or $749, 900,
provided that all the taxes are paid.
That leaves 81 100000 to be col
lected from 1908 taxes, unless the
Crawford administration wants to
leave the state with a debt for their
two years of reform. The assessed
valuation for 1908 will not be materi-
ally changed from 1907. This much
is certain because the state board has
met and fixed the rates of assess
ment. Now then, if you have to
raise 81 $4,000, on an assessment of
$3.50, 100000, it is also certain that
the levy will have to be over %
mills. These are simple problems
which l challenge any one to dis
pute. If any levy less than % mills
is made, the state must necessarily
be in debt the amount of the differ
ence. Governor Crawford made the
statement in his speech at Webster
in answer to question, that they
would levy enough to pay the appro-
priations. Does that mean 81
mill levy? Some contend that the
levy cannot be more than 4 mills
because of constitutional limitation,
but at least one attorney has told me
that there is no such constitutional
Limitation. However, assuming that
there is, the levy will have to be at
least 4 mills and that will raise
81 ,O4O,O 900, less $4O,OOO,for collection
fees, leaving 100000, providing
all taxes are paid The total for
two reform" years will then be
81, 100000, or very nearly SO, leaving
the state in debt $475,OOO for two
years of reform, with the alternative
of 81 mills levy if the state is to be
free from debt. Now, is there any
one who can not see this. If 80, get
your little boy or girl in the 9th or
7th grade to figure it out for you.
The most rabid insurgent will not
have the hardihood to take issue
with me on these statements.
| Now for discussion of the rela-
tive amounts of state taxes in Day
county during stalwart and reform
administrations. Now to make a
comparison of two years we must
compare years which have something
in common. 1t is not enough that
they are Legislative years but you
must compare high levy years
together and low levy years together
to arrive at just conclusion. My
insurgent friends insist that it is
fair to compare 1907 with 1908 and
1905 simply because they were legis-