Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1913-01-09

~ besAs are IN or out a, -.
u you nnd. on investigator tS.. -
present law does not give such sr.a 49,
~. or u there seems 70 be anv 49,.
tion In regard to 1t, you should 49,
. law plainly and definitely ..n nsct
such authority. s
Assessment and raxatlo.
The assessment and tax.,,o
property - ever difficult and pern,e,
ing problem. here as elsewhere. ~.
wheil many other states have nv
progress In the solution OF the caa"
ton. South Dakota lags behind i, !.
t,me something was done to remedy
this. It is a wen known fact tb,, ~
der our present method the burdsn.
OF taxation rest upon individuals :,
most exactly in inverse ratio n tns,.
ability to pay. earnestly recommena
TO you the enactment OF a law prov,d
ing Tor permanent tax commiss,on
TO have general supervisory power.
over the matter OF assessment, -.
taxation In the state, and In add,tion
to its other duties, to perform the an
ties now devolving upon the board :,
assessment and equalization.
Inheritance Tax.
The attorney general In his renor,
calls attention to the condition az nm,
inheritance tax law, pointing out 60
rious defects In 1t, which seem -
make 1t inapplicable to our conditions
and practically useless. He states
that acting In conjunction with Mr. r
K. Snider, states attorney of Faalk
county, he has secured and examirAa
every inheritance tax statute enacted
In the different states and has consid.
cred practically every case where sncb
statutes have been construed. and ont
OF this experience recommends the en-.
actment Of new statute. / endorse
this recommendation, and suggest
that you give it your attention.
Elections.
The primary election system or
making nominations has justified II.
self. A new primary law making some
fundamental changes in the system
OF nominating candidates, enacted by
the last legislature and submitted TO
the people under the initiative pyo-
vision OF the state constitution, was
adopted at the late election. Having
been thus approved by the voters. II, OF
course, must be given careful and
thorough trial without change. II win
be your duty to make such appropria-
ton Of funds as may be necessary 10
carry 1t into effect.
Public Printing.
l call your attention to what ] be-
lieve to be the excessive cost of our
public printing. For some reason this
seems to be growing with each sue
cessive biennium until it now amounts
to = large sum. This is a very impor-
tant matter, and merits your most
careful attention. After looking intS
1t with some degree of care feef
warranted in saying that we are pay
ing for printing nearly or quite double
what we should.
Guarantee Of Bank Deposits.
I recommend and urge the enact
ment Of well considered, carefully
prepared bank deposit guarantee law,
by which depositors may be made
safe beyond peradventure In deposit
Ing their money in banks chartered
by the state. The system has been in
operation now for several years in
Kansas and Oklahoma, long enough
to fully test It's effect In operation,
and It 10 giving satisfaction 20 the
people.
Regulation Of Investment Companies
There II widespread demand for q
law to protect the public from impo
sition through the sale Of worthless
stockss Of companies Of questionable
standing. and the promotion OF
schemes ranging from the visionary
and impractical to the Downright
fraudulent. The state Of Kansas has
had such law In operation for some
time. and 1t II reported 10 have worked
well and satisfactorily.
Insurance. e.
Complaint has been made ~ thu
members and managers Of farmers
mutual Insurance companies that ths
law, a. 1t now stands. bears heavily
&nd unfairly upon them In the nat
ter Of payment Of fees for licenses Of
agents, examination. etc. ] hellsys
the trouble lies chiefly in the fast that
the law intended to regulate ana cen
troll regular insurance companiss II
applied to these small orsanisstions
no distinction being made in the stat
utes.
Improvement Of Roads.
The question of securing uniformly
good country roads Il receiving I'm
creased attention from al classes Of
people. The burden OF road build
ing should not AL be laid ON the local
communities. but should be distribut-
"a between the locality, the county
and the state. and l hope the time
may soon come when the nation win
contribute also under some conditions.
You should make liberal appropria-
ton for continuing and extendinG the
movk - A. N. ..-----s -. ~