Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-01-08
HANNA DEV0TES
MUCH SPACE TO
STATE FINANCES
HANNA REVIEWS STATE FIN
ANcEs At LENGTH AND MAKES
RECOMMENDATIONS TO I'M.
PROVE CONDITIONS.
ASKS INVESTIGATION OF
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Asks Appointment Of Committee For
Thorough Probe Of Charges Against
Management Of State Educational
institutions-6oard Of Regents
Should Control.

Gov. L. B. Hanna delivered his bien-
NAL message to the legislature We'd
nesday, Jan z. 1t contains many rec
concentrations. and state affairs are
gone into quite thoroughly. On state
finances he said:
Finances.
Two years ago upon coming into the
office as governor of the state, / had
an examination made as to the finan-
cial condition and found the state
owing 1901, 479.99. This floating debt
was composed of appropriations which
had been made by a previous legisla-
inncluded $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 agricultural training
schools. To meet this there was cash
In the state treasury to the credit of
the general fund of $71.496.94 and it
was estimated that there would come
in from uncollected taxes due the state
for the past biennial period $170, 100000.
making total Of expected receipts Of
$241, 496.94, leaving deficit in the gen.
eral fund as of Jan. 1. 1913, of $685.
9S3.05. There was also due for ap-
proved glandered horse claims for
which no provision had been made, the
and unpaid wolf bounty warrants 49,
6O6.50, SO it was found that the state
owed altogether floating debt of al
most $30O,O00.O0 over and above any
cash on hand or money coming in from
back taxes.
For number Of years it had been
customary to levy three mills on the
property of the state for the general
fund. Then there was levied one
mill tax for the higher educational in
situations. Then in addition there had
been levied two-tenths of mill for
tuberculosis in cattle, wolf bounty and
glandered horse claims. This made
total levy of four and two-tenths of a
mill and made the levy run over the
four mills authorized by the state con-
stitution. The legislature two years
ago raised the educational mill levy
from one mill to twelve and one-half
one hundredths Of a mill. They also
enacted the terminal elevator mill levy
Of 12A 100: then add the wolf bounty
mill levy Of $500, tuberculosis in cat
tie mill levy of 5-10o. glandered horse
mill levy of 10-100, county agricultural
school mill levy 2-100. making a total
mill levy of one and 47-10O. Deduct
this one and 47-100 mills from the flour
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 en-
trey inadequate.
This past year, 1914, the state board
of equalization determined to levy the
tax at straight 4 mills, as provided by
the constitution and at their meeting
when the levy was made they levied
mills for the general fund and the
remaining l mill was divided between
the various so-called mill levies. This
lou A-1P
our supreme court held that the state
board of equalization could not levy
a tax of more than mills and that
the mills must include all of the So
called mill tax levies as well as the
tax levy for the general fund. The
levy was finally made at mills and
the amount of the standing appropria-
tions for the executive. legislative and
judicial branches of the government
were covered in full and the so-called
non-preferred claims amounting to
nearly $300.000.00 and the various So
called mill levies were reduced by
about 3Sh per cent each. in order to
bring the total within the levy that can
legally be made. 1t is apparent to
everyone that IL the legislature shall
make and continue to make mill levies
for specific purposes and continue the
present mill levies as they now stand
on our statutes and thereby cut down
the levy that can be made for the gem
eral fund. and shall continue the pres
ent standing appropriations and make
further appropriations from the gen.
eral fund. the fund that must maintain
and support the state government, that
1t will be impossible for any admins
tration to meet the demands made up
on the state treasury, unless the as
sessed valuation of the property Of the
state shall be very materially increas.
ed.
The state board of equalization hes
itated to raise the assessed valuation OF
the property of North Dakota for the
reason that had they done SO
it would have increased the salaries Of
the county officers in a majority Of
the counties Of the state, the county
officers salaries being based upon the
assessed valuation of the property in
the counties, and it would also have
raised the debt limit Of cities, towns
and school districts to dangerous de-
gree. So. after giving the matter SER
ious consideration. it was thought best
to hold the valuation about where it
was and then call the attention of the
legislature to the problem and ask the
legislature to make such provision with
reference to the county officers SAL
aries as in their judgment they thought
wise, and also to give consideration to
school districts.
In order to raise the amount Of mon
ey necessary to pay all of the standing
appropriations and appropriations that
would come under the mill leives as
made by past legislatures. the valua-
ton Of the property Of the state would
have to be increased probably SO per
cent. Personally I do not believe that
this should be done. If there ever was
time when we should retrench. econ
omize and conduct the affairs Of the
state with wise economy, 1t is now, for
our people are in no condition to stand
such a heavy additional burden as this
would impose upon them. The mill
levies should be revised and should
either be wiped out entirely and APP
preparations made in specific amounts
from the general fund. thus permitting
the state to levy the whole four mills
for 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 10 q