Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-21

discussing grave affairs of state the
city of Dickinson is willing to leave
those matters in capable hands. 1t
has business of Importance somewhere
around the pork barrel. Hence its
modest request to be awarded a state
normal school and an asylum for the
insane. If there are any other loose
institutions Dickinson will be pleased
to be advised by first mail. Dickin:
son is a hustling Western city that
compels admiration for it's enterprise,
but with the condition of the states
fnan ces and with three normal
schools already it is not likely that
the state will consider a fourth at this
time. 1t Is certain that the state
needs another asylum for the insane.
At present both durable and incurable
insane are housed and lodged togeth-
Or at jamestown and the institution
is so crowded that patients have been
and are now lodged in a building that
was erected for the keeping of poul-
try! A division is imperative, as is
more room. There has been some talk
Of securing the vacant building now
composing the United States army
post at Bismarck, which might. be do
mated by the government to the state
and which, with a little fixing, would
be perfectly available for the purpose
needed. But Bismarck has her share
of state institutions and is not MAX
ing a loud bid, especially against
Dickinson. Yet economy lies in the
way of securing the fort buildings and
property.
+ i. i. :.
For the Motorist-Now come pro.
posed amendments to the motor vehi.
Gle registration law, and they come
from all sides. Some measures mere
ly attempt to remedy defects in the
present laws; others would wipe out
the present law and enact an entirely
different measure. One such proposes
that automobiles shall be registered
and pay a fee according to weight,
the scale being based on the 100
pounds. 1t provides that this regis
tration fee shall be in lieu of any
other tax. Another copies somewhat
after the Minnesota law and calls for
a payment Of S. for a registration COW
ering a term of three years. Two
reasons may be assigned to the at
tention given this law. One is that
the governor recommended in his mes
sage that bonds be Issued, based on
the funds of the registration fees, and
that the money so raised be used for
the building of highways. The other
Is that the decision which declared un-
constitutional the law providing for
the payment of a fee for the inspec-
ton of kerosene and gasoline was
based upon the fact that the fee
charged was more than a fee, and
was actually a tax as we'll, returning
a large revenue into the state treas
ury. This made it double taxation.
In the same way the fee of So for a
years registration Of an automobile
is a fee and double taxation. The
actual cost of registration, issuing
tags and postage is about 60 cents.
The remainder, s2.40, is turned into
lAC lodu gnu p1lu6C o11d VI III
county treasures. The 60 cents is
the fee; the $40 is taxation. No
one has objected to the payment of
t1ns tax, but an objection made in the
courts would likely be sustained.
Hence it is that the legislators are
casting about for a remedy and the
means to avoid the same fate that be-
fell the oil inspection law.
!. !. !.
Is 1t War?-Not a few comments
have been passed owe the peace that
has prevailed so far in. both houses.
| Not a ripple of discord was to be seen.
An almost unnatural calm prevailed
and the press galleries would not be
comforted. But hope has risen in the
past few days. 1t Began to rise when
Senator Martin Of Morton introduced
a concurrent resolution asking for a
committee Of six members from each
house to investigate the tax commits
sion for the ostensible purpose of dis
covering the amount of taxable prop.
erty which the commission had u
covered and put on the tax rolls, the
amount Of SO gained by the
state, and the cost of the services of
the commission. Evidently this was
the opening gun On the following
day Representative John Rott, Jr., OF
the T%hirty-sixth district introduced a
resolution calling for an investigation
Of the board of control Of penal and
charitable institutions. The board Is
composed Of three members, and dur
ing the recent campaign attacks were
made upon it, one of which intimated
that it had violated the board of con
troll law of 1911 in paying several
thousand dollars to a supervising
architect in the construction of state
buildings when the law provided that
he should be paid a salary of $1,000
per annunl This, Is we'll as Other
matters, is required to be investigated
by Rott's resolution. This is the way
q fever or epidemic of investigations
started in 1914. It resolves itself into
a game of ping-pong, the ball being
batted back and forth between fac