The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1916-09-07
GREAT HIT
WITH TAXPAYERS
STATE EQUALIZATION BOARD AN
kOUNCES REDUCTION IN
LAND ASSESSMENT.
INTERESTING NEWS OF STATE
important Items From North Dakota
State Institutions and Officials
With Live Letters From Flick
ertaiI %Guardsmen at Border.

The state board OF euuallZatiCn na6
MADE a hit with North Dakotans pay.
ing taxes on lands and town lots by
making a 10 per cen, reduction in
the assessment OF railroads.. farm
lands and town and village lots. This
action will effect a saving TO the tax
payers of from S250,000 to $500 900.
This means a reduction in the assess
ment of taxable property in the state
from $3.50, OOO, 900 to 1854, 000, 900. Gov
ernor Hanna, Attorney General Linde
and Commissioner Flint took the po-
! sition that the reduction should be
made.
1t has been customary to levy n
tenth of a mill for the bond interest
fund and two-tenths of 1 mill for the
bond sinking fund. Owing to the
conservation OF funds, there is enough
in the interest fund to meet all de-
mands of the next two years.
Under the constitution, the tax levy
is limited to 4 mills for state purposes.
X 4 X
Prison Employees Quit Bismarck.
Bismarck.-Following day and night
conferences lasting two days between
the members of the board Of control
and Warden Talcott, nine employees
of the prison have severed their con.
nection with the institution.
Warden Talcott refused to make
any comment. Mine employees sew.
cred their relations with the peniten.
tiary," he said. Whether they were
discharged or resigned will not say"
Asked whether they were guards he
refused to answer. 1t is known, how.
ever, that since the escape of July
%. i'll which eight men got away I'M.
der sensational circumstances, the
board of control and Warden Talcott
have been carrying on a quiet but
determined investigation.
Many Escapes in Summer.
Within 60 days this summer % men
got away.
Seven of the nine men who are no
longer connected with the prison are:
Joe Meyers, T. c. Farman, C. J.. Glib.
son, ]. E. Burke, S. w. Callahan, Roy
Riggs and +. S. Hinerum.
Among the guards are the men who
had charge OF the milk crew, two Of
whom escaped; the mar who had
charge of the men %butchering when
two escaped; a guard who was sup.
posed to be a close friend of Neav.
els; a man who was stationed neal
a convict who reported he had heard
the clash of the crowbar against the
brick on the day that the hole was
made but the guard did not hear it
or, if he did, did not investigate.
X x X
Reforms In I%surance Laws Urged.
Bismarck.-Important reforms in
the insurance laws are advocated by
w. c. Taylor, state commissioner OF
insurance. in his report to Gov. l.. B
Hanna.
The report follows. III part:
The insurance laws of North Da.
kota need a thorough o%verhauling. We
should have a new, modern and com.
plete insurance code. We have some
excellent laws, those relating to the
organization, regulation and control
Oil lie insurance companies BEING
i"itS ouC4udlS. Ill general. we've
the Insurance laws are a%ntcuuated
and incomplete. For example, there
is not the slightest provision in our
statutes for automobile insurance of
H. kind-fire, accident, theft. COLI.
sion, etc. No authority is extended
for the operation of a mutual auto.
mobile fire insurance corporation; of
a title and credit guaranty corpora.
ton; OF a stock or mutual employers
liability corporation. Whether assess.
ment life associations. Lloyds under.
writer's, inter-ilrsurers; and the like
may lawfully be authorized to trans.
act business in this state is a ques.
ton for attorneys general to guess
abont-and they do not always CUES
alike.
X X X
Board for ~" Students at Same Price
Although confronted with markedly
Increased costs in foodstuffs. the North
Dakota board OF regents will seek ia
give state university students board
at the same price as previously, it waa