Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-10
TAX PAYERS COMMITTEE
PRESENTS LONG REPORT
BUT FINDS FEW 1RREGU-
LARlTIEs so FAR IN REC
oRDs. .......
BLAME Is PLACED ON Law
Commend Action Of City Commits.
sion in Passing Recent Resolu-
tions Relative to Petitions.

L1OuS 6c1dtlve 10 TeLlClOuS.
| No trace of graft in city affairs has
been found.
This is one of the conclusions reach
ed by the committee selected by the
tax payers to look into the matter of
special assessments. A lengthy report
| was presented last evening at the Com
mercial club rooms at which. F. e.
Young presided.
The meeting was not as large as
the first one although districts which
have had heavy assessments were fair
ly well represented. "
Pleased at Resolution.
Pleasure was expressed over the
adoption by the city commission of
the resolution, which requires fifty
one per cent of the property owners
TO sign petition for special improve
Ments. The committee also commends
the action taken by the commission
to have financial statement issued
and also attention is called to the re-
cent public hearing on the gas fran
chise.
Hanson to Check Atkinson.
1t was announced that J. M. Han
son of jamestown will be employed to
check Mr. Atkinson's work whether
the city commission hires him or not.
objection has been entered by Mr.. At
kinson against the hiring of Mr.. Han
son for this work.
| A long letter was read from Mr..
Hanson in answer to one published
| recently in the Tribune written by
Mr. Atkinson. .-
More Publicity.
The committee llrEs sSmore publicity.
for city affairs Itealso contends that
the engineering department is IAN ex-
pensive luxury It cites certain alleg.
ed mistakes in surveys and notes
claims made for damages by reason
of these alleged errors. The report
asks why the city commission has
taken no action in the matter?
Want Cheaper Shows.
| AS to the management of the Audi
torium, the report makes plea for
few Cheap shows so that city resi-
dents who cannot attend the high pric
ed ones can have the cheaper" form
of amusement.
The report showed that in the three
years Of l!12-19l3 ,9l4 there had been
special warrants issued for street
special assessment work, in the total
of $37,214.41. besides over $4,000 as
sesslne.lts still in the hands of the
special assessment commission and
contracts for grading, still unfinished
in the sum of $4,000, or so, making
4 total of about $G5,000, this including
nothing for sewers or sidewalks. 1t
showec. how the general taxes for
stree. wn' X curing The last few years
had run from $1,000 to $l2,600 in differ
ent years and how in the last three
years the general appropriation TOR
street work had amounted to practl-
cally $4,000, making total of up
wards Of $50 GCG, for street work alone
| III three years.
TIE reror. showed how the general
expenses of the city had steadily
| grown for the last five years, the total
appropriation for 1909-l910 being $3l,-
! 2O6 and that for 1914-l915 being $685.
| 222.41, these amounts including sink
| ing and interest funds on the various
| city bond issues 1t also showed that
during the same years the expenses OF
| the city far an nur)nes excepting for
the bo:ld issues principal and inteSrst
! had increased from $26,746 for 1909
1910 to $43,3S0 for 1914-1915.
E. Total Tax Levied.
Again the report showed that for
1909 the total tax rate levied in the
CITY was 49.1 mills of which the city's
share amounted to III mills while IN
1914 the city tax rate total was 49,?
mills while the city share the last
year was 1913 mills. For city purposes
in 1909 a man paid $l.71 on each $500
assessed value of his property for
city purposes alone but in 1914, oW-
ing to the increase in valuation and
also to the increased tax rate for city
purposes alone he paid $500 on the
same property.
Blame School Tax.
The report also showed shat one
reason why general taxes in the city !
have been so high the past winter was
because the schol board had found 1t
necessary to raise several thousand |
dollars additional for school purposes
owing to a deficiency existing for sew
eral years, which they had never seen
able to make up. Members of the
board, the report relates, had stated
to members of the committee that in
the coming year their taxes would be
reduced to normal again and the report
stated that the committee truly Loped
the school board would keep the prom
ise.
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:. THE WEATHER. ::
:. Tri-S -Stato--Fair Wednesday ::
:. and Thursday =