Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-07

wiped out entirely and approprla-
ions made in specific amounts from
he general fund, thus permitting the
to levy the whole four mills
Tor the general fund. or else the mill
levies should all come in under a
one.mill levy, leaving three mills for
The general fund of the state. There
a natural increase in the assessed
valuation of property from year to
year. There has been between the
years 1918 and 1914. The states as
sessed valuation in 1918 was about
1907, 900, 900 and in 1914 about $313,-
600, 900, giving an increase of about
Sc, 100000. This increase is accounted
for by the proving up of about $4,000
acres of government land and from
various other sources.
"As I have already shown, at the be-
ginning Of the present administration
the state owed over and above its as
sets the sum Of approximately $780,
600. which has had to be taken care
Of during the past biennial period.
Then in the past six months the gen.
eral fund is short, as will be shown,
100000, by nonpayment of the oil in
spection fees. Further in 1913 the gen.
era1 fund levy was reduced .125 Of a
mill which was given to the higher ed
u~cational institutions and this amount
was about $4,000. Add these three
shortage items together and we find
q total Of $438,O0 If we had this in
the general fund it would pay all the
states bills and there would be a
large credit balance remaining.
INSPECTION FEEssM DISPUTE.
1--WE have lost, or at least they have
not been paid from July 1. 1914, UP to
the present time, and the matter is
now pending in the courts, the oil in.
spection fees. No fees have been paid
by the oil companies operating In
North Dakota since July / last. The
oil has been inspected and the ex-
pense to the state has gone on, but
no. fees Ehavescome in, pending a deci.
sion in our supreme court. These fees
amount at this time to approximately
800, 1000, which the general fund
should have and would have had the
fees been, paid. Should the court hold
that the law providing for the inspec.
ton of oil is unconstitutional and that
the oil inspection law cannot be made
. revenue law for the state, then II
will deprive the state of about $500,
900 net a year, which the state had
been receiving prior to July I, 1914
over and above the expense OF cost
of the inspection. and it would re
quire $40. 100000 of assessed valuation
Of, property in, North Dakota! ct three
mills on the dollar to raise thai
amount Of money each year.
II would suggest that a committee
be appointed from the senate ant
house whose duty 1t shall be to give
careful consideration to the %anancia
condition of the state and that THU
committee shall make recommends
lions to the legislature for action. l
the legislature shall permit the 81
called mill tax levies to remain upol
our statutes as they are now, shall
permit all of the present standing ap
propriations to stand and shall adj
other appropriations the result mus
Inevitably be that there will not b.
enough money to meet the demands
URGES CHANGES IN METHOD;
"A budget has been prepared whicl
will show the requirements of the va
rious departments of the state an
also an estimate from the various in
stitutions as to their needs. The nor
eys asked for in the aggregate excee'
any possible revenues Of the state b,
hundreds Of thousands of dollars. Thi
is not the proper way to present
matter Of this kind to the legislature
We should have, and a law should b
passed, authorizing the governor t
name three men who shall not be cor
nected with any branch Of the stat
government or with any state inst
tuition and whose duty it shall be t
visit all state institutions, look int
their needs and determine wher
economies can be p%racticed and max
such recommendations as they deer
wise. They should Investigate tn
various departments Of the state, ans
lyze their methods and conditions, an
after a full %deliberation these me
should make a general report to tn
legislature, showing what in thel
Judgment every branch Of the stat
government should receive in the wa
Of money and why. These men woul
also report as to. the probable rev
nues and would not make recommel
dations for expenditures beyond tn
anticipated revenues. With such a r.
port it would be possible for the men
bers Of the legislature to have som
thing comprehensive to work Oh an
!, bills for appropriations could be acte
upon intelligently.
1.-TWO years ago the bonded indeb
edness Of the state Of North Dakot
was $937,300. During the past tw
years 100000 Of this bonded debt ha
been paid. This brings the bonde
Z debt Of the state down to $617,300 an
within the next year there will be
large amount of the remaining bond
paid.
TOO MANY LEGISLATORS.