Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-10-10
BIC Increase IN
STATE TAXLEvY
Nearly Tue Millions Added 10
Last Years Budget.
half GOES TO ROAD FUND
Officials Differ as to Who Is Respon-
sibIe for the Heavy Advance
in Expenditures.
half GOES TO ROAD FUND

most interesting CuluS III SCdCG cdpl-
toll happenings of late is the an
nouncement of the state tax rate for
1913, collectable year hence. Decid-
eddy interesting, too, when it is
known that the taxpayers will have
to fork over for state purposes nearly
$2,000,000 more than they did a year
ago and that on a valuation many
millions of dollars in excess of pre-
Vious years. The tax, as certified by
State Auditor Iverson for 1918, is
sos mills and when you pay it next
year you will have cleaned up
everything as far as your state OBJ
legations are concerned. The levy
includes the usual 123 mills for the
common school fund Last year the
total levy was 3.58 mills, so that
this years levy is an increase of
Las mills AS the records show this
is the biggest increase in the state
tax rate in years, but even though it
may be the largest it is modified
somewhat by the fact that one mill
of the amount is for good roads.
This additional tax, known as the
Dunn good road law, was a creation
of the last legislature and will put
over million dollars into the state
treasury for the construction and
improvement of highways. The bal
ance of the increase is for the run
ming expenses of the state. There
are several other items which call
for the imposition of a fraction of
a mill, but they are Insignificant in
as far as the grand total is concern
cd. The total assessed value of
property i'll the state is 1880, 100000.
Last year it was S1,339, 1900, 900.
!. i. j.
AS the old saw runs, Those who
dance must pay the fiddler" and it
does look as if some fiddIing has been
done, judging from the price. Of
course 1 know you are going to ask
who is responsible for this increased
rate. When the next campaign rolls
around the increased rate will IN
doubtedly figure. Rivals for the gov
ernorship will likely attempt to pass
the buck" to the present incumbent,
and the present incumbent and his
friends viii undoubtedly retort in
kind to the extent of smearing the
P.4es-Nolan house organization
Aay way you handle it the new rate
is a good campaign card, but, fell
lows, don't let them stick you with
that kind Of gaff. We are all more
or less responsible and the only
wonder is that the tax rate is not
higher. We cannot have these good
roads, which over half the state is
clamOring for, without going down
in our pockets; nor can we give ear
to all the demands for this and that,
which is q feature of every biennial
session of the legislature, without
paying the bill in the end. We are
paying the bill now and we will con-
tinue to pay it. Perhaps it might
have been a few cents smaller had
the chief executive welded his foun-
tain pen little more vigorously
when assaults upon the treasury came
before him for approval, but after all
he is human like ourselves. Public
approval was behind the majority OF
the assaults and knowing this, as
he knew, too, that there would be a
row later, he practically had to &C.
quiesce and let the future take care
of itself. Perhaps this is a wrong
view to take of it, but it is the way
the game is played and SO far the
voters have not seen fit to select
any one who will be different. When
the tax rate was announced the other
day by Auditor Iverson one Twin
City daily, in chronicling the fact,
took occasion to charge the increase
up to the Rines-NOlan house organ
ization. Legislative extravaganza
was the keynote of the article And
yet had you followed the editorial
and news columns of this same pub
icatiOn during the legislative session
you would have found them teeming
with demands, every one of which
was an assault on the state treasury.
Queer world, isn't it?
!. !. !.
Before I pass up this matter of
taxes want to say that this tax
rate of better than five mills would
have been on the books four years
ago, but politics kept it down. Politics
now has brought it UP where it
should be. For two campaigns Mr..
Iverson sat on the lid. The levy for
the revenue fund was kept SO low as
to invite comment and was response
BILE for many stories having to do
with taxless state in the future.
At the same time, however, few knew
that the state was borrowing money
to keep up appearances, but it was
and pretty penny it paid in interest.
too Well, Mr.. Iverson, from all an
peaUances, is not so crazy about Gov
ernor Eberhart and the organization
now and the increased rate is due to
the fact that he has removed his OH.
cial person from the lid AS they say.
SHE saw his d1lfv and did II - r. r,,~,,1S