Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-01-08
I natural increase in the assessed val

crease is accounted for by the proving
up of about 100000 acres of govern
ment land. which was proved up be-
tween the years 1913 and 1914 and
which has been added to the tax rolls
by the assessors for the first time in
1914; also some school lands in Cass
and Trail counties were sold in Dec
ember, 1913 and went on the tax rolls
for the first time in 1914; also by the
addition of several hundred thousand
dollars in assessment of railroad pro-
perty upon new lines Of railroad built
and ironed during the past year, and
the balance is accounted for by new
property Of that kind in the cities Of
our state.
AS l have already shown, at the be-
of the present administration
the state owed over and above it's as
sets the sum Of approximately $780,
900, which has had to be taken care of
during the past biennial period. Then
in the past six months the general
fund Is short. as will be shown, $780,
900 by non-payment Of the oil inspec-
ton fees, a question now in litigation.
Further in 1913 the general fund levy
was reduced IL 1s-100 Of mill which
was given to the higher educational
institutions and this amount in dollars
was about $38,O00.00. Add these three
shortage items together and we find a
total Of s43S. 100000. II we had this in
states bills and there would be large
credit balance remaining.
would suggest that committee be
appointed from the Senate and House,
whose duty it shall be to give careful
consideration to the financial condi-
ton of the state and that this COM
mittee shall make recommendations to
the legislature for action. This COM
mittee will be one of the most impor-
tant that may be named and their
work will be of great value to the
state. We all know that the state Of
f1cers cannot pay money from the state
treasury except as the people of the
state pay money into it. If the legis-
lature shall permit the so-called mill
tax levies to remain upon our sta
tutes as they are now. shall permit all
to stand and shall add other appro-
priations, the result must inevitably be
that there will not be enough money
to meet the demands.
Budget.
A budget has been prepared which
will show the requirements of the var
ious departments Of the state and also
an estimate from the various institu-
lions as to their needs. The monies
asked for in the aggregate exceed any
possible revenues of the state by hun
dreds Of thousands Of dollars. This is
not the proper way to present q mat
ter of this kind to the legislature. AS
a matter Of fact we have no annual
report as to the whole state of North
Dakota. 1t is true that we have re-
ports from the various departments of
but for anyone to try and arrive at the
real cost of maintaining and support
ing the state government with all Of
its allied interests, and having from a
brief comprehensive report some
knowledge as to the condition of the
whole state. We have nothing. We
should have a law authorizing the
Governor to name three men who shall
not be connected with any branch of
the state government or with any
state institution, and whose duty it
shall be to visit all state institutions.
look into their needs and determine
where economies can be practtced and
make such recommendations as they
deem wise.
Bonded Debt.
Two years ago the bonded indebted
ness mes Of the State of North Dakota was
$685.. 10000. During the past two years
1920. 100000 of this bonded debt has
been paid. These bonds were paid
from the sinking funds and other funds
available for the purpose and the
bonds paid have been actually retired
and cannot be reissued. This brings
the bonded debt of the state down to
s617. 10000 and within the next year
there will be large amount OF the re-
North Dakota to retire It's bonds. 1t
makes available just that much more
money for the purpose Of taking care
of school, county, municipal bonds and
for loans upon farm mortgages. 1t is
a good advertisement to go abroad
that the state is paying its bonded debt
before it is due.
Tho Farmers.
North Dakota is more purely an
agricultural state than any other state
in the union and tho larger part of
the burden of taxation falls upon the
farmers and 1t should be our highest
duty to enact laws that shall be bene-
fetal to them. I wish to call the at
tention of the legislature to the laws
now upon our statutes with reference
to mortgages given upon crop security
would suggest that the Judiciary COM
mittees of both houses give these ques-
lions consideration. We are endeav-
oring to encourage the farmers Of our
state to diversity and to change their
present ways and methods of farming
and much can be done to help the
farmers If the laws relating to security
upon crops that are to be grown and
security upon future increase of live
stock shall be gone over carefully. to
so adjust those laws that they will
prove more beneficial to the farmers.
| School Lands.
| A certain amount of school and in
stitutional lands should be sold each
year. not a large amount, but some.
wherever the crop conditions and fin
ancial conditions warrant. so that
gradually these lands will be gotten
under cultivation and will pay their
share of the taxes for the support of
the state. In addition this would give
to the state very large fund to loan
to the farmers of North Dakota upon
their farm mortgages at a moderate
rate of interest. BY doing this be-
lieve that we in North Dakota can
solve the so-called farm credit pro-
position. I know of no other way by
which we can obtain large sum of
money at a low rate of interest and
make it available to our farmers upon
mortgages on their lands.
| In the past year the Board of Uni
versity and School Lands have loaned