The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-03-24
Says That Duty Of Efficiency and
Economy Commission is to Locate
Leak and Recommend Plan
RELATES STORY OF MERCHANT
Place to Begin is to Organize Gov
eminent in Why That Someone
May Know How Cash is Spent

chant blew up with a, loud report.
Yes, A. stands for average. He had
received his personal tax statement
showing that he would have to pay
the county treasurer this year $1S5.
Last year it was more than he could
stand and this year it is that much
more. Something has got to be done
about it. Whoever is responsible for
that increase in Mr.. Merchants tax
es at this time when the high cost
of living hits him in the small of his
back and the mail order houses are
buzzing VIGOROUSLY around him, is
going to suffer from his wrath. Well,
who did it
Mr.. Merchant carries about $780,
900 stock of merchandise on which
his assessed valuation is $4,000. OF
course, the law says it should be
$4,000 but that carries no weight
The state tax commission has urged
the assessors to make it $4,000. The
assessor in his county agreed to put
valuation of $500 on it-that is
they agreed to assess goods and mer-
chandise at one-third-and the as
SCISSOR actually did make it $4,000.
Hereafter it will be assessed at one
third of its true value if the asses
sor observes the new law. How
ever, the present valuation is $4,000,
including furniture and fixtures, but
not counting bills receivable because
Mr.. Merchant owes enough to offset
what he has coming and then some
His village tax is the biggest ITEM
l2-mill tax, making a draft on
him of $4S. The school district
comes next with a demand of 8.75
mills or $33. There. are places
where the rate for local taxes is
twice as high but this is Mr.. Average
Merchant. The county taxes him
564 mills or $22.56. And the state
calls for SOB mills or $2O.12 as his
share of the cost of running the state
government. Total rate AZ mills,
total tax $125.68.
And it's too ferociously much.
Well, how about the state tax; for
that is twice as much as it used to
be when Mr.. Merchant began bust
ness?
The state tax includes a one-mill
tax for the state school fund which
is in the constitution, and a tax Of
.23 mills for the university which
was there before Mr. Merchant can
remember. He pays 81 into the
school fund which is distributed
back again to the common schools
of the state, including his own. He
contributes also 90 cents to the sup
port of the state university. For
soldiers relief Mr.. Merchant contrib
ates 40 cents. For building good
roads in the state he chips in 81. The
last legislature voted to put up a
new building for the State Historical
society and the supreme court. Mr..
Merchant gives that fund cents,
the first of ten installments. For
new armories in various cities he
contributes - cents, and that is to
be continued in our next. For the
new prison buildings, also in a ten
year series, he yields 80 cents, and
for the new university group of
buildings Sc cents on the same par
tial payment basis. Still another
tax on the installment plan is for
charging Itasca park toward which
Mr.. Merchant gives 8 cents this year
At the top of the list of state tax
es is the main item of 2.3 mills call
ing for payment of $3.50 from Mr.
Merchant. That goes into the state
revenue fund to which Mr.. Merchant
and other taxpayers contribute about
100000.
Besides what Mr.. Merchant puts
into it, the railroads yield $4,000
other corporations maybe another
million, kind gentlemen who die
leaving large estates; perhaps hall
million, and institution earnings
bring a million more.
Out of that comes all the ex.
penses of the state and good deaI
that is not expense. For instance
the state gives more than 100000
to the various schools for being goo(
schools besides what it gives then
because it belongs to them.
What concerns Mr.. Merchant i
that a lot Of his money is going TO-
support of the state government ant
If it is too much it is too much
Somewhere. he firmly believes, a 10
of that ought to be saved.
That brings the subject round t,
+ the efficiency commission. The eff
i ticiency commission is inclined tt
agree with Mr.. Merchant. Some
where a lot of money can be saved
And the lace to begin is to organic
the government in some way 50. tina