Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-10
Wants to Direct Probe.

The affidavit which is published In
another column attempts to lay down
lines for the investigation and up
braids the members of the committee
for not going to the tax commission y
office for their information.
As a matter of fact the report has
not been prepared in full as yet. In
formation is being gathered from the
county auditors direct to ascert ain
just what property has been added
to the tax rolls by the tax commits
sion. 1t is the intention as soon as
this data is secured to question the
members of the tax commission. I,
Acting In Bad Faith. !. :
The direct charge is made that the
committee is acting in bad faith. 1t
is one of the boldest indictments Of
a legislative committee in the history
of the state. ..
Members of the investigation. com.
mittee were not inclined to take the
affidavit seriously. One member re-
fused to dignity the attack by an an
swer. Another said:
They are attempting to damn our
report before 1t is made. We have q
right to conduct the Investigation as
we see fit" IA -. ri,
Not Following Instructions.
81 The affidavit. declares that the com.
mittee is not following the instruc.
tions of the legislature when ti5 1t
adopted the Martin resolution. The
Martin resolution provided as fol
lows:
THAT committee of six be ap-
pointed, three from the house and
three from the senate to make inquiry
in the office Of the tax commission
and to obtain from them accurate
data showing the amount of taxable
property ty them added to the assess.
ment rolls of the state within the
past two years, the different classes
of property, and in what counties the
same is located, and in order to ar
rive at the cost of placing upon the
assessment rolls this additional tax
able property, that this committee
shall obtain from the tax commission
and from the auditor of the state a
detailed statement showing the cost
Of maintaining the tax commission"
Carrying Out Instructions.
The members of the committee de-
clare they are carrying out these in
structions. but in order to have a
check on the tax commissions figures
the county auditors have been asked
to make statement of all property
added to the rolls in their counties
by the tax commission.
1t is expected that the report on
the tax commission will be ready
within the next few days. Just what
effect the affidavit will have is prob
lematicai, but no one would admit
that it had helped the status of the
tax commission in the least. That
the employees had Joined in the affi-
davit gave a humorous twist to tho
whole affair."
6urgett Talks.
Mr.. Burgett in discussing the mat
ter Of the affidavit last evening was
OF the opinion that the tax commits
sion had acted rather nastily in the
matter of charging the special Joint
committee with not acting in good
faith and with not being on the
job"
This committee has done consider
able work with regard to this mat.
ter said Mr. Burgett, "and has col
lected data from the county auditors
and compared, in part, these reports
with the report of the tax commits
sion. But the work is still incomplete
and meeting of the committee is to
be held at 10 O'Clock tomorrow WED
nesday) for th' purpose of rushing
the work to completion and making
a final report to the house,
II plead guilty to the charge of not
visiting the offices of the tax com.
mission" said Mr.. Burgett, 'Sbut I
hcd no business to call me there-1
had the tax commission report to
work on and that was all I needed.
"As to their not being personally
acquainted with newly, that's their
Hearing Today.
The special joint committee inves-
tiga'ing the tax commission will
meet this morning at 10 O'clock at
he capitol and will take up its work,
looking forward to rapid compile
Continued on Page Seven.)