The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-08-26
STATE MUST GET
100000 MORE

| Bismarck, Aug. 22.-Confronted
with the problem of raising 100000
more to run the state government for
the biennial period. the state board Of
Equalization yesterday heard the rep.
resentatives of the various railroads
upon the values to be used in taxing
their property. While no member of
the board is in a position to say just
how the raise in valuation of taxable
property is to be spread, it is impera-
tive that $50,000.000 be added to the
tax rolls to yield the necessary $4O0,-
900.
Additional income needed has not
been necessitated by reason of any
serious increase in the cost of state
government, but is due almost wholly
to the loss of revenue from oil in
spection. The state, since the COM
panies litigated the fees charged for
years has been deprived of $4,000
year for period of years. This
creates a shortage in income of $780,
900 for three years.
This revenue must be made up from
other sources. The members of the
board of equalization are making an
exhaustive study into the valuations
of the various taxable property and
it will be week or two before any
definite decision is arrived at.
Representatives of the railroads
yesterday laid particular stress upon
the low tax valuation of farm lands
in proportion to their value. The
Great Northern has had agents busy
in the 30 counties, through which that
road operates, to ascertain by examin-
ing recently recorded deeds the actual
selling value of farm lands. Including
buildings they have found that the
valuation for taxation purposes is
only about 1876 per cent of it's actual
value while taxation on railroad and
other property is in excess of 20 per
cent running in some instances as
high as 24.20 per cent.
All the railroads resented further
increases in their valuation for taxa
ton purposes unless other property
IN the state was compelled to pay the
same percentage on the valuation.
Arguments presented by the rail.
roads showed that elements usually
considered by tax experts had been
wholly neglected by DR.. Durand. He
scored the recent newspaper articles
of Chairman Packard, of the tax com
mission which had sought to compare
the amount of taxes paid in North d.
kota with those paid in other states
where the governmental expense was
much higher. ~
He neglected to state" said Mr..
Maher, "what was paid in Iowa and
South Dakota which states are more
identical in their expenditures with
North Dakota. Anyone knows that
property situated in different taxing
areas may pay more or less taxes but
this is no criterion as to the Justice
Of that tax"
The author of these articles was not
present at the hearings yesterday but
the state paid DR.. Durand $3.50 to ap-
pear for him and the rest of the com
mission, two members of which Com
missioners Steele and and Wallace
were present but took little part in the
discussion of the affairs of the board
OF equalization. All that Commission
er Wallace did was to place one of the
railroad men on the carpet for what
ne construed as statement discour-
| teous to DR.. Durand.
In arriving at his figures of valua-
ton DR.. Durand took three of the
most prosperous years of the roads.
Representatives of the road declared
that this was unfair and that a five
year period or even better a ten year
period should have been used.