The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-24
TAX COMMISSION
Will GO AHEAD
MEMBERS BELIEVE GOVERNORS
VETO WILL NOT AFFECT
THEIR SALARIES.

Bismarck, N. d., March -24.-The
state tax commission plans to go ahead
with their work just as though the veto
which it was claimed would leave them
without funds was not made. 1t is
the contention of the members of the
tax commission that the measure which
provided for the creation of the COM
mission and fixing their salaries car
RES with 1t an appropriation of suf-
nc1ent money to meet this expense.
me tax commission was created
by chapter 303 of the session laws of
1911. This bill provides for the Gre
alton of such a commission, fixes its
duties, provides the amount of salary
the members are to receive and fixes
a. limit to the amount OF expenses
that may be incurred.
Relative to salaries, section 5 pro-
Vldes each of said commissioners
shall receive an annual salary of
$4,000, payable in the same manner
that salaries Of other state officers are
paid
Section 6 provides for the meetings
of the board and further provides
p it shall elect a secretary who
shall receive a salary of not more
than $1,000 per annum.
Section z provides that the COM
mission may employ such assistants,
St~enographers, ETC., as required but
that the total mount for such pur-
poses should, not exceed $4,000 per n
mum
Section s provides for the office and
travelling expenses of the commission,
fixing the limit for such expenses at
$4,000 annually. ~.
The law was passed by the 1911
legislature, but owing to the fact that
the finances of the state did not war
rant the appointment of the commits
sion 1T was provided that the appoint
ments should not be made until July,
1912, To defray the, expense Of the
organization of the commission, sec
ton IL provided an appropriation of
$4,000 annually to carry out the pro-
visions of the act. aa.f "s
Amendment Passed.
! The recent legislature passed senate
bill No. 221 which amended several
sections of this law. Section 6 was
amended so that the commission
should select one of it's own members
as secretary instead of electing an
outside man.
Section Z was amended so that the
limit for assistants was fixed at $1,000
per num instead of $4,000.
Section s was amended so as to re-
duce the limit for office and travelling
expenses to $500 annually.
Section IA was repealed entirely.
This is the measure which Governor
Hanna vetoed on the. ground that the
expense of the tax commission was
too great. His veto IA follows:
/ believe that a tax commission com
posed Of three members is entirely
unnecessary and that the expense Of
SUCH a large commission is uncalled
for and that it is too heavy a burden
to the taxpayers of the state It is
estimated that the expense, of the COM
mission for two years will amount to
between $40,0 900 and $780, 900. It would
seem as though it would have been the
wise policy for the legislature which
has. just adjourned to have either re-
pealed the tax commission law entirely
-, or TO- nave amended the present5la so
as to provide for one tax commissioner,
whose duties it should have been to
have made general inquiry into the
subject of taxation in the state and
to have reported the. result to the next
session of the legislature for such ac-
ton as the legislative assembly might
deem wise. A single tax commission
err appointed for two years would have
been entirely adequate to have made
such an inquiry and report, and it
could have been done with a saving
to the state of at least $50, 1000, and
public service equally efficient and val
liable to the state could have been
rendered.
The revenues of the state have been
largely exceeded by the appropria-
tions made, and believing that there
are many Institutions in the state
much more in need of the money pro-
posed to be expended under the pro-
r.aE 81 .+- t|.E @ag .