The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-07
PRESIDENT M'VEY--
HAS IMPORTANT
SUBJECT TODAY
Talks on Rational Taxation of
Resources and Points Out
Specific Methods
Or. ]. {. BOYLE OF UNIVERSITY
IS MEMBER Of A COMMITTEE
Indications Arc That the Committees
Report Will Report In Favor Of tic
Plan of Extreme Conservation Adj.
vocated by Clifford Pincllot.

st. Paul, Sept. with the big fea-
lures of national conservation con-
gress over with, namely the address
es of President Taft and former
President Roosevelt, the delegates ex-
pressed determination today to get
down to business. The meetings of
Monday and Tuesday were fairly lost
in welcoming the distinguished speak
ers, leaving the balance of the pro-
gram to all but empty benches.
Chairman Pardee of the resolutions
committee called that body to order
today before the congress resumed.
The membership of the committee is
said to indicate that the platform to
be recommended to. the convention
will be strongly along the lines of ma
tional control as favored by Col.
Roosevelt and Clifford Pinchot ]. E.
Boyle Of North Dakota is among the
resolution committee. Addresses by
James ]. Hill, Senator Beveridge,
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson and
President McVey of the University of
North Dakota were on todays pro-
gram.
| Probably the most interesting pa
per today was that Of DIR. Frank l..
Mcvey, president of the University of
North Dakota at Grand Forks on
Rational Taxation of Resources -
He spoke as follows:
McVey's Speech.
"The letter of the president of the
conference inviting me to be present
and to deliver an address upon the
subject of rational system of taxing
natural resources, asked that speci-
fic suggestions be made of a practical
nature regarding a plan Of taxation.
This places upon me heavy respon-
sibility II the suggestions made are to
be accepted in any serious way. The
title Of the address assigned empha-
sizes rational system. This implies
that the one now in vogue cannot be
SO designated, nevertheless a system
of taxation bears a close relationship
to the conservation of natural re-
sources.
"It is hardly necessary to state the
need Of conservation, since that has
been done In previous congresses and
at various times in the public prints.
The question upon which must at
this time exercise such thought as
can give 1t is this: How does taxa
ton affect the conservation of natural
resources?
"It may be said in the beginning
that the difficulties involved in the
taxing of natural resources exist to a
still greater degree in the case of 9TH
er property. Generally speaking, we
have not attained to a rational sys-
TEN Of taxation in any field, and we
system and extend it, by adding to or
taking from it. Economic conditions
in America have changed from time
to time, and these changes have fore
ed upon us a reorganization Of our
methods. not only of manufacture and
of transportation, but also Of admins
tration, government and social organ
ization. Such condition of affairs is
seen today in nearly ever state, and
attempts are being made to meet 1t
by adding to the old system Of taxa
ton the special taxation Of corpora
tions, inheritances, royalties and the
like. The consequence is that so far
as natural resources are concerned
we have no principle existent in the
general scheme of taxation that can
be used to meet the new conditions
that have arisen in our efforts to con-
serve our resources. Just as the
problems of industrial organization
have come upon the states. SO now
has come the problem Of our natural
resources. In hazy thinking and
sometimes in Indefinite laws we have
attempted to regulate through legis-
lation the great corporations OF the
present day; and in much the same
manner we shall. by feeling our way,
attempt to develop some plan Of tax
ing natural resources.
No Depletion.
Sometimes In discussing this Ques-
tion Of the taxation Of natural re-
sources a great deal of emphasis is
placed upon the statement that 1t is
the cause Of the depletion of timber
and mineral lands especially. think
1t may be said at the outset that the
taxation Of natural resources is only
one Of many factors in the destruc-
ton of them. The extent to which
this takes place is impossible to say.
but the fact remains that the taxa