The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-01-25

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This practically exempts all the
farmers Of the province, who have
taken up land under the home
stead act. A tract Of land from
$50 to $40 acres is exempt wheth-
er occupied or not, providing one
fourth is under cultivation, and
from $40 to 1920 acres is ex-
empt from the surtax when one.
half of it is under cultivation.
1.-The statute likewise provides
that all lands exceeding 1920 acr-
es belonging to one owner must
bear the surtax whether the same
Is under cultivation or not, and
whether or not there is a family
residing upon the same. This
tax is intended as a blow at the
speculator who holds large tracts
of land without improving the
same for the purpose of reaping
the rise in value.
Hail Insurance Tax
1.-THE hail insurance, tax of
Saskatchewan is the one about
which we hear so much today in
the state of North Dakota. This
is a compulsory tax of not to ex-
coed four cents per acre. The
law provides that all lands shall
be taxed for the hail insurance
tax unless withdrawn as provid.
ed by law. We find that the law
is made to favor the resident and
aimed at the nonresident. Provi-
sions are made by which residents
may withdraw their lands from
the operation of the hail insur-
ance tax law by fencing their
grazing lands. All unpatentei
! homesteads are exempt. In the
province are large tracts of lands
held bp spectators. Upon in
quily We find that the man who
complains most against the COM
pulsory hail insurance tax law in
/ Saskatchewan is the nonresident
because no provision is made
whereby he can withdraw his land
from the operation of the hail in
surance tax. The proceeds from
this tax is used IN paying hail
| losses.
Onearned Increment Tax
In passing on to the Province
of Alberta, we find that there is q
tax levied there which perhaps is
the only one of its kind on the
continent. 1t is called the I'm
earned increment Tax.
1t provides that when an an
plication is made to have the title
registered that the officer in
charge shall determine from his
records how much the land cost
the man who is now selling t..
The difference between the Luying
and the selling price is used as a
, base for the tax, and the local
taxes are applied.
Wild Lands Tax
"There is also on the statue
books of Alberta a tax on wild
lands. The law provides that all
! lands shall be taxed at one per
/, cent on the full value thereof,
and then make liberal exemptions
from the provisions of the law.
Such exemption are on home
steads and all grazing land, which
is enclosed with a substantial
fence"
In drawing his conclusions as
to the two systems OF taxing the
farmers in Canada and in the
United States the speaker said:
ut seems to be the settled pol
icy of the Canadians that the man
;; who goes out on to homestead.
TO make himself a home and there
to raise his family and hel3
build up the country that he shall
be favored and under proper con-
ditions all of the extraordinary
taxes which have been discussed
today do not touch the farmer at
all but is intended to make the
non-resident and the Spectator.
whether resident or nonresident,
pay more towards the support OF
the government than the man who
builds up the country.
I'm North Dakota our system il
to the contrary. If a home
steader pust house on 400 acres
of land the assessor Immediately
hunts him up and makes him pay
for his improvements. The same
is true as to his domestic animals
and all other kinds Of personal
property. It. seems that we are
getting worse instead Of better.
for the last time you were assess-