The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-01-14

deal at some length with the finances
Of the state and urges the necessity
for economy. He says:
In a young and rapidly growing
commonwealth like South Dakota, each
succeeding session of the legislature
Is pressed hard by the representatives
Of it's institutions and the growing
demands of it's officers, as well as by
the needs OF it's people, for increased
appropriations. Two years ago the
legislature, in response to insistent
and jealous appeals, based in most
cases upon actual merit, increased the
appropriations considerably above
those made during the four years
preceding.
To provide for the payment Of the
general appropriation for ordinary cur
rent expenses Of the state adAministra-
ton, the state board levied a state
AK of 2 mills in each Of the years
1907 and 1908, and also levied an ad-
~1itional mill in 1907 and an addition
al mill in 1908 to provide for dehclen-
.ies in revenues: and in 19O7-as d.
rected by the legislature-it levied Ia
mills for the installation of a Irvine
plant at the penitentiary, making the
total levy Of state taxes for 1907, "A
mills. and for 1908, 3 mills. While the
above appropriations were reasonably
necessary, and the state appears to
lave received full value for the money
expended, the end OF the fiscal year,
June 80, 1908, shows an increased de-
icit which must be provided for by a
deficiency levy in 1909, and it Is the
auty Of this legislature to firmly hold
the appropriations within a limit that
will enable the state to keep It's eX-
oenditures within it's income, and pay
is outstanding warrants.
Notwithstanding the fact that tne
constitution has placed a firm limit
upon the levies which may be mace
for state revenues, and notWlthstaho-
ing the fact that only two years ago
liberal appropriations were made Tor
new buildings for the institutions, the
reports submitted to the governor lot
the biennial period now endlhg, sho"
a list of new demands which the con-
dition of the state finances makes IL
,mnerative to postpone We cannot
and we must not undertake to do all
these things at once. The heads or
the several educational and penal ana
charitable institutions, ludln the
soldiers home and the boards OF con-
troll, recommend special appropriations
amounting in the aggregate TO more
than a million dollars, not includlng
the amounts recommended by the
state capitol commission as necessary
to enable it to complete the erection,
furnishing and eQuipping or the nan
completed building.
The governor reviews the work that
has been accomplished in the bullding
Of the new state capitol. CONTRACTS
have been entered into for $54O,5oZ. lot
the erection of the building and $3S,O0o
for heating and plumbing. Construc-
tion work has progressed s"atisfactorlly
and will be completed by Jan: l, lsio'
For additional work in furnishing the
building and landscaping me srouhus'
etc. 1904. 900 will be needed.
Under the law passed by the leSls-
,ature of 1907, relating to the assess
ment and taxation Of the property Oh
railway. telegraph, telephone, express
and sleeping car companies, Ine STATE
hoard of assessment has been aple 10
procure much additional
regarding the value of property Oh
RAILWAYS and other public service cor
porations in the state, and 20 assess
the terminal and structures or ran
uav companies situated within the
iimf It's of incorporated cities towns
The law has proven to be a most eN-
callent one. ...
While the constitution contemplates
that all taxable property shall De as
sessed at it's full cash value, 1T Is no.
~toriously true that local assessors as
se.s il at from one-ffth to one-third
OF It's aCIudl CASH NdluS, ohN
sessment Is equaliZed on that oasis
by the city and county boards or
equalization In performing its du-
ties as a state board Of equalization
the state board is limited by lrw as
to the extent to which 1t may raise
the aggregate valuation OF the TAX
able property of the state. The state
board, when 1t comes to assess tne
property of the railroads, express,
sleeping car, telegraph and telephone
companies, must apply the same aver
age ratio to true value that is applied
20 the assessment Of other property,
becaus section 2 Of Article x1. of
the constitution declares that the rules
prescribed by the legislature for the
appraisement and assessment or
property in the general law must be
such that every person and CORPORA
ton shall pay a tax in proportion to
the value Of his, her or its property"
In attempting to comply with he
spirit Of this declaration of the con-
%stitution, the state board aimed, in
assessing corporate property and in
equalizing the assessment of other
property. to apply a rule by which, so
far as a~scertainable, all classes of
property would be assessed at one
third of the full valu
The general results are, however.
far from satisfactory. Owing to the
incomplete and often misleading char
acter of the returns mad and the
unreliability of information received
injustice is frequently lone to in
dividual owners by the action of the
state board. A very large amount of
property is not returned at all and
consequently escapes all the burdens
Of taxation.
Millions of dollars deposited in the
banks or loaned out on interest bear
ing securities are not listed by the
assessor and cannot be reached by
the state board.
The revenue law of South Dakota
does not furnish a remedy for these
slaring defects. I heartily agree with
the outgoing state treasurer In the ad-
vocacy of a law creating a non-parti-
san, appointive tax commission The
proposed amendment to the constitu-
ton, submitted to the voters by the
last legislature and rejected by them,
had in view a change in the organic
law which would permit a graduated
or progressive tax upon incomes and
inheritances and contained some excel
lent provisions. The fatal defect In 1t,
and the one which undoubtedly caused
its defeat, was the proposed removal
Of the limit Of taxes levied for state
to two mills for estimated or
binary expenses requiring legisla-
tive authority for deficiency levies-
Public Service Corporations.
since the enactment of the law OF
1907. relating to the assessment and
taxation OF corporate property, the pub
lie serice corporations have been taxed
noo r,pcb hiphar valuations than be-