Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-07
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should be safely guarded and by send
ing you here to represent your re
spective districts they have delegated
you to guard their interests, ant
have shown that they have confidence
in your integrity and believe that yol
will exercise your best Judgment II
the discharge of your duties, and tina
an honest effort will be made to leg
islate for the benefit of the whole
state.
The reports Of the state officers ant
from the various institutions Of the
state have been carefully prepared
and should be given your considera
ton.
FINANCES.
l would first call your attention to
the financial condition of North Da
kota and ask that the states finances
be given careful consideration.
Two years ago upon coming into
the office as Governor of the state, ]
had an examination made as to the
financial condition and found the
state owing $501, 479.99. This Aoat'
ing debt was composed of appropria'
tons which had been made by a pre-.
vious Legislature and which had rNt
been paid, and included $17S,045!O8
due the State Normal at Minot, also
unpaid bills, also some outstanding
warrants against the general fund
and also an amount due the five agri-
cultural training schools. TO meet
this there was cash in the state treas
ury to the credit Of the general fund
Of 81 1864, and it vas estimated
that there would come in from un.
collected taxes due the state for the
past biennial period $170,000!00, max
ing a total of expected receipts OF
$241, 1864, leaving a deficit in the
general fund as of January 1, 1913, of
$3.50 1888. 05. There was also due for
approved glandered horse claims for
which no provision had been made,
the sum of $29,346.00, and for regis
tered and unpaid wolf bounty war
rants, $685. so, so it was found that
the state owed altogether a floating
debt of almost $500, 100000 over and
above any cash on hand or money
coming in from back taxes.
For a number of years it had been
customary to levy three mills on the
dollar of. the assessed valuation OF
the property Of the state for the gen.
eral fund. Then there was levied a
one mill tax for the higher education
al institutions. Then in addition
there had been levied two-tenths of
q mill for tuberculosis in cattle, wolf
bounty and glandered horse claims.
This made a total levy of four and
two-tenths of a mill and made the
levy run over the four mills authoriz-
ed by the state constitution. The leg
islature two years ago raised the edu-
cational mill levy from one mill to
one and 12h-100 Of a mill. They also
enacted the terminal elevator mill
levy Of 12h,100; then add the wolf
bounty mill levy Of 5-100, tuberculosis
in ..aUs mill :',y Of 100, 3;ardered
horse mill ley of 10 lyG county az
ricultural schuo. mil! levy c1tG, max
ing a total mill levy of one and 47-lcO.
Deduct this one and 47.100 mills from
the four mill levy and it would leave
but two and $1,000 mills that could
be levied for the general fund to
conduct the business of the state-an
amount entirely inadequate.
This past year, 1914, the State
of Equalization determined to
levy the tax at straight four mills,
as provided by the constitution and
at their meeting when the levy was
made they levied three mills for the
general fund and the remaining one
mill was divided between the various
so-called mill levies. This levy was
taken into the courts and our Su-
prelne Court held that the State Board
Of Equalization could not levy a tax
Of more than four mills and that the
four mills must include all of the So
mill tax. ley'es as we'll as the
tax levy for the general fund. The
levy was finally made at four mills
and the amount of the standing ap-
propriations for the executive, legis-
latlve and judicial branches Of the
government were covered in full, and
the so-called n]on,preferred claims,
amounting to nearly $500, 100000, and
the various so-called mill leyies were