The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1916-10-06

ed-where the people live. Again,
while the assessor may be perfectly
honest in his valuations, it would be re-
markable il be did not see to 1t that the
non resident land was assessed-proper-
".
We would also call attention to the
fact that while toilette has very large
railway assessment which pays more
than one-tourth Of all taxes in the town.
ship yet Carlisle which lies close by aud
has railroad near both the east and
west boundaries gets no railroad money
except its small share Of what goes to
the county. To US this has always seem.
ed wrong. The present system Of local
taxation Of railroads and similar public
utilities is unjust in that while the
whole people support these utilities only
the cities, townships and school districts
through which the railways and tele.
phones run get the benefit of their as.
sessed valuation when it comes to taxa
tion for local purposes. There are some
school districts in this county which get
pretty nearly enough taxes from the
railroads which when added to the state
and county apportionment to pay the
entire salaries Of their teachers, while
right alongside are districts that get
nothing IN the way of direct tax from
these utilities.
While the best method of railway
taxation has not yet been found, it is
apparent that this present fashion is
very unequal. In the territorial days
all railways paid on gross earnings
scheme and the money all went to the
state. The law was later changed to it's
present form with the result that now
the state expenses are paid by taxation
of all property, instead of largely by the
income derived from the railways.
However, there is not much probability
of this law being changed because the
bulk of the legislators are selected from
the cities and towns or interested school
districts, all Of which have railways to
assess,
Personally, we believe the fairer way
would be to pay all railway taxes into
the county treasury and then distribute
equally among all civic corporations, or
else let the county use it and thus make
the levy for county expenses that much
less. which would give each taxpayer his
proportionate part of the railway reve-
nues.
In conclusion it is not the tax levy
that the taxpayer need bother about SO
much as the tax expenditure. II the
taxpayers think they want new city
hall, a S20O, 600 court house or $4,000
bridge and vote for such things, they
vote the tax levy. If toilette farmers
vote at town meeting to put cement
sidewalks in front of the stores in Joli
cite village out of highway taxes, then
they must expect high road taxes.
Every reader will agree with US that
the amount of money already levied dur.
ing the past twenty five years should
have built we'll graded road on every
section line in the county-but there are
hundreds of miles either but half done
or not done at all. 1t will take more
taxation to do them.
The heaviest taxes as we have shown
are paid by the school levles Some
years ago the legislature abolished the
old-time annual school meeting. Since
that time the financial business of each
district has been run by three men.
The only thing the taxpayers know
about the finances of the district now is
when the school boards publish the
annual statements in the newspaper.
There are over one hundred districts in
this county, and from observation and
experience, we think not over one half of
them ever publish that annual state
ment.
We give these examples of the meth.
ods by which the taxes are spent locally.
The townships are not much better than
the districts. Very few of the taxpayers
know where the money goes. They may
hear the annual statement read at town |
meeting If they happen to be there, but
during the year they know but little of
what the supervisors are doing. There