The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1916-11-02
EQUALIZATION BOARDS ACTION
POPULAR ALTHOUGH VALIDITY
MAY BE ATTACKED,
NEWS OF STATES MILITIAMEN
Important Items From North Dakota
State Institutions and Officials
With Live Letters From Flick.
ertail Guardsmen at Border.

commission has discovered a clause in
the North Dakota statutes which might
nuillfy the recent action of the state
board OF equalization in making 6 fiat
10 per cent reduction OH farm lands
n certain other classes of property.
1t is highly improbable that the tax
commission or any other agency in.
d1vidual or public will endeavor to
press the advantage by asking the SUI.
preme court to mandamus the board.
First n foremost, the reduction in
taxes is by no means unpopular with
the lass principally benefted-the
farmers. Furthermore, it becomes ap.
parent upon going into the subject in
detail, that there is no just reason
why the North Dakota farmer should
be taxed an additional $4,000 this fall,
1nasmuch as a balance of $500, 900 over
all expenses may reasonably be ex.
pected to remain in the treasury OF
the state July l, 1917.
X X X
Graded License Law Valid.
North Dakota's proposed auto
mobile graded license law, substitut.
ing a reasonable license and regis.
tration fee in lieu of all other taxes,
is constitutional, says Attorney Gen.
eral Linde, as a result of a recently
adopted amendment. The only Ques.
ton which the proposed law would
raise would be the right to divert into
a general state highway fund the Ii.
cense fees paid upon automobiles as.
sessed within the corporate limits of
cities and towns. Inasmuch, how.
ever, as the average city or town Is
anxious to build good roads, no opposi.
ton is expected from corporate muni.
cipalities.
1t is understood that the North Da.
kota tax commission. Secretary OF
State Hall, State Engineer Bliss and
other public officials and commissions
have given their approval to an auto.
mobile license law now being drafted.
This bill will establish a graded
Zee, dependent upon horsepower, value
OF car, vintage, ETC.. and the average
license cost will be $3.50 per car.
convicts Ask Pard'ons.
AA tAAcoIci1F Ia. ~ Iul!lUGE VI UTlS.
oners are seeking freedom and more
than the ordinary quota of ex-convicts
are asking for ACKNOWLEDGMENT az a
Christmas gift frc!n Governor Hanna
and the state board Of pardons.
The state boards heaviest business
session is always held the first Of
December. Whether it is the opinion
of convicts and their friends thai the
approach of the holiday season may
have a s%oftening effect upon the
hearts OF the %pardoncrs, or whether II
is the mere fact that Christmas brings
with it a general longing for home
and family on the party of the trans,
gressoTs themselves, certain it is that
petitions for pardons are re.
ceived at the December session than
at any other. The board will convene
December 2.
Guard Recruits Scarce.
Only 20 of the 400 men needed to
bring the North Dakota national guard
to war footing, have been recruited by
the detail that returned to the state
several weeks ago. Captain Solum, re.
cruiting officer for this state said there
are several elements that are making
recruits scarce. In the first place, high
wages are being paid for laborers in
practically every line Of work in the
northwest. Between the potato fields,
threshing, contractors and the lumber
woods, me- are hard to find, and they
are getting better pay for their ser.
vices than they have been getting for
q number Of years, which makes SOL
dlering rather unattractive to many.
This cause applies to every branch of
army service.
Bound by Act Of Agent.
An insurance company Is bound by
any act of its general agent which
may appear to the insured to be with
IN the bounds of the real or implied
authority invested in that agent, ruled
the North Dakota supreme court in
UNFOLDING the Judgment rendered the
plaintiff in the Grand Forks district
court in the case Of the Michigan-1daho
Lumber Co. VS.. the Northern Fife &
Marine Insurance Co.
II supreme courts ruling is re-
garded by Dakota insurance men as
one of the most important that has
issued recently from this state or any
other in its bearing upon insurance
business in general.
4 4 r
Tax Collection Heavy.
Tax collections for September are
showing up much better than antici-
pated, the state auditors office finds.
There was some fear early in the
summer that the comparatively poor
crop might result in delayed payments,
but such has not proven the case to
date. Excellent returns are anticlpat.
ed for October and November, as 90
tober 5 all delinquent personal taxes
were placed In the hands of the sher.
If OF each county for collection, and
the state expects to procure q large
revenue.