The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-01-21


and see the coal stick up In great
chunks, evidence of Gods providence,
ready to be taken for the mere labor of
getting It." And yet eastern newspap-
eTs annually contain alarming articles
about the scarcity of fuel in North Da-
kota.
The more you study North Dakota
the greater she becomes. The facts are
we are having too much prosperity.
a few years ago we boosted. continu-
ously, that North Dakota was state
without millionaire or a pauper The
time has come when we can no longer
truthfully proclaim that in public
places. The two evils are, too closely
allied to, separate one from the other.
The tide of prosperity has flowed so
swiftly as to permit the accumulation
Of the former and the people have been
too busy with their own affairs to pre-
vent the latter
North Dakota sends more people co
Europe FOR sightseeing tours and more
families to Palm Beach and other
southern and western winter resorts,
In proportion to the size Of its popu-
lation. than any other state In the UNI
ion..
= sas E =
Has Assessed Valuation Of $3.50, 600.
North Dakota IL great state: a
state that has grown In all those things
which go to make up great common
wealth and that growth has been SO
rapid, the movement so swift, that IL is
beyond the comprehension of the slow
err more conservative sections of the
east to properly, estimate or appreciate
it, After twenty years of statehood.
1t has today an assessed valuation Of
S280,000,00Q, which easily means a to-
tai value of property of SLIGO, 000, 900,
1t has 456 state banks and 1876 national
banks, and all are in a. prosperous con-
dition. Such a situation could not eK
list In any of the states east of us with
five times its population, Take it's per
capita value of one crop, which Is linz
tied simply to its production of wheat,
oats. barley, fax, rye, corn, speltz and
potatoes and 1t averages $201.32 to each
man, woman and child, and this is a
greater sum than can be shown by any
other state in the union, and the esti-
mate here given is based upon an under
valuation of the yield and actual value
of the productions given, rather than
upon an over estimation,
To proceed a little further with wall
ues and make comparisons, not for the
purpose of disparagement, but to place
North Dakota in it's true light before
the people. The four recognized great
producing states west of the Mississippi
river, in what Is known as the nortn-
west territory, are Iowa, Minnesota,
South Dakota and North Dakota. The
records of the state auditors Office of
these states show the assessed values
as equalized by the different state
boards to be as follows: In Iowa for
the year 1909 all the property in that
state was placed at 1851, 511,327 which
was assessed upon a basis of one
fourth its actual value, which makes
the actual value $2,726,045,30S. The
population of Iowa in 1906 was 1910
050 IL Is immaterial whether we ac-
cept these figures as showing the total
number of people In that state now,
or not, or whether the number be In
creased by the addition of $3.50 per-
sons, which should be the natural in
crease OF a state like Iowa. If we
assume it's population to be 1900, 900,
then the per capita wealth of Iowa is
$1.1s050
In the state of Minnesota the real
estate was assessed at s922,S95. 146
which was on a basis of 43.5 per, cent
making it's total valuation of realty
81 12i $4,000. while its personal prop
erty was equalized at 1903, 42s.330 being
on abasis of rs per cent of it's actual
value or a total actual value of $685.
52a750 To these amounts must be
added railroad assessment telegraph
and telephone lines, etc. which brings
its total sum up to $3,353.90s. $50. It's
estimated population in November,
1909, was 2,125.000 and when we divide
the value of the properly by the total
number Of inhabitants we find the per
capita wealth of that state to be ST.
57S31.
The next state is South Dakota In
a letter from the state auditor he says:
THE total assessed valuation for the
state of South Dakota for the year
1909 Is 1919, 312. T97, and we aim to as
sess our property at one-third It's full
value" This would place the actual
value Of all property in that state at
three times the amount named or
1851 9SS.S91 Assuming that the popu-
iation Of that state is 500. 900. for that
is the number we claim for North Da-
kota, and we are well aware that our
southern friends would take exception
20 being assigned less number than
we confidently believe our state pos.
sesses. we find that the per capita
wealth of South Dakota IL $1,5ss.57
Average Wealth st,s66 Par Capita.
The assessed value placed upon all
the real and personal property of North
Dakota for the year 1909--exceprin
1902 3S acres owned by thes tate and
government that is sold and unsold
but not yet on the assessment books
was in round numbers $2S000O 600
The state board of equalization after
careful deliberation decided to assess
this property on a basis Of rs per cent
or its value which would. make its act
ual worth reach them agnifcent sum
of $1,12O,000.O0O and with a. population
of 100000 people, 1t gives am average
wealth to each person of $1S66.67, a.
sum greater than In any other state
North Dakota possesses 45,153, ATT. "a
acres From this should be deducted
416,7O1.6s acres, being the amount of It's
water area, thus leaving 44,s19, 1856
acres Of land. The state auditors book
shows that in 1909 the total number OF
acres assessed was 33,017,4SS acres
leaving a remainder of II ,302, 337.66
acres uFassessed. On October 1, 1908
there were 2,O55, Sss acres OF govern
ment land unentered 1t ID not pre-
sumptuOus TO assume that since thar
date 55.36S acres Of this land has been
either sold or entered. thus leaving at
the present time practically 2.O00.0 900