The Dickinson press., 1915-02-20

considering. An amendment to the
rules is suggested granting more time
than the IS days at present prescribed.
Referring to the difference between
the budget prepared by the state audi
tor showing requests of the different
institutions and departments, and the
estimated revenues Of the state, which
difference amounts to sS46, O54.51, the
committee deems it unwise to meet
this discrepancy by increasing taxes,
but instead would wipe out the dis
crepancy saving in every part of the
state government.
The committee is of the opinion
that the state is not getting for the
money expended what a private cor
poration would receive and demand
for a like outlay. Help and assist
ants are engaged far beyond the ac-
tual need and more is being paid than
for like service in any private bust
ness in the state. The legislature has
created new departments and offices
and have created new duties without
due consideration of whether the de-
partment could carry these added bur-
dens. It has steadily added to the
salaries of deputies and employees and
provided for additional assistants
when the duties imposed required only
a fraction of the time of those en-
gagged therein.
Upon examination of state educa-
tional institutions the committee
found increases in the pay of the fac
ulty, instructors, teachers and m
ployes out of all proportion to the
natural increase in salaries that the
condition of this state in any way
warrants. IN addition to paying larg-
er salaries, the committee finds that
this increase in pay has brought about
a reduction in the service rendered
by those whose salaries have been in
creased. Too great a disposition is
found to disregard the financial con-
dition of the state, OF that we as a
pioneer commonwealth with limited
resources and great needs have other
and material needs outside the higher
educational institutions to provide for
and maintain. Some Of those work.
ing for the upbuilding Of our educa-
tional institutions think that the first
aim and object Of statehood is higher
education. It is found that the edu-
%catlonal institutions are competitors
of each other instead of being each a
link in the educational chain. There
is too much tendency to make of each
a universal educational institution in
stead of confirming each to the purpose
for which it was created. This has
added many thousands of dollars
needlessly to our tax burden. These
faults, according to the committee.
can never be remedied by different
boards of trustees and the normal
board of control, and it's favors the
adjustment of all and the establish
ment of one board Of regents to take
over the management of all educa-
tional institutions and recommends
the creation of such a board.
On the question of taxation the
committee says the constitution pro-
the four mill levy. In practice we
have not only been at u extreme
limit but have exceeded it one and
one-eighth mills. The committee
does not believe this a wise practice
nor that the constitutional convention
contemplated that w should work
lout a system of taxation that brought
us at all times to or beyond tax
ing power. The report says:
"We feel that the admission that
under u constitutional provision we
are possessed of only 1913, 000, 00O
worth Of property is not a good adj
vertisement Of u worth or prosper
ity. We do not feel that such an
admission has a tendency to make
North Dakota a good place to come
to. We do not feel that a tax levy
of seven per cent in some of u cities
aids in making them attractive places
for investors. We feel that the evil
dence of our small assets initiates