The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-01-03

EQUALIZATION al its session in August 1916 ecuazed the prop
the then levied against that
properly which IN their Judgment sufficient for the
financial needs Q" the state for the period for which was
their duty such and levy: that period
being July / 1916 June ID 1917 The State Auditor
prepared -eful detailed showing the balances
would lie due for unpaid and fixed alrria tons and
would he payable during tie period named and il
found aggregate they amounted the Of
;oG To this there credit balance IN the
Fund in the State Treasury July l. 1916 OF $40
SIS estimated There would in from mis-
caaons collections such as corporation fees taxes uo,.
insurance premiums interest upon public funds and other
Of that kind SU..J0e 1t also estimated that
there Of 1915 uneoleei and that would
Of SO. s25o making total OF Sl,o2 6ls.f II
therefore necessary for the Board Of Equalization
10 against the pror1! Of the suc
upon which there could BE- levy made, that would
raise the balance By direct taxation sum OF $1osl
j4S.2 Board Of Equalization 1hereupon eQualzed
the property OF the and after making the equalization
having taken consideration the Of money
necessary by taxation carry forward the
business {" the found there could be reduction
assessed valuation Of all property and
still enough and re1uc
Of about thirty millions of dollars TwothrGs
OF this reduction made farm lands part Of it On
city lots and the balance in the assessed valuation
Of railroad property This left the valuation Of all prop
ery year 1916 49s7oo Under the constitu
of the is only possible for the Board Of Equal
izaol levy for the state General Fund tax Of four mills
dollar The legislature Of 1913 had provided levy
Of oneeghrh Of mill for terminal elevator tax This
levied by Of Equalization in 1916 leaving
levy Il three and evengihs mills the dollar Of the
assessed valuation Of three hundred and ifyfour millions
for the General Fund 1t is estimated however that from
this hundred and fff millions and odd dollars Of
total assessed valuation Of the that there would
probably De deduction OF about eight millions by VI
the SrJ exemption allowed every personal property
tax statement h. figures
three hundred, and fys1 millions Of net assessment This
three and seyeneistts mills would bring to the General
Fund Of the state about s1-34NN0 s2Otl0o il
Of requirements necessary forward the business
Of for the period for which it the duty Of the
Board Of Equalization provide funds for. In
words every bill against the presented and
paid July 1917 and all the and miscellaneous
collections collected there would be balance in the General
Fund of the that time Of sj00000 In addition to
this should be during this period forty fifty thousand
dollars from the Inheritance tax which would add just
much the General Fund Of the There
impression this past that the State Board Of
fIualza1i'l levied sufficient for the needs Of
and that by making the reduction Of about thirty
millions Of dollars in the assessed valuation Of the state that
there would lie sufficient funds the business OF
for this year This impression the
figures have herein forth plainly show. Ii Is not the
province Board OF Equalization time antici
pate appropriations that may be made by future legislature
and understanding that Supreme Court has passed
upon question and has said that the Equalization Board
power levy in anticipation Of appropriations
that he made in the future by legislature Had
permitted this thirty millions OF stand it
would have brought into the General Fund Of the about
S1l6OOoCO but stated previously the board did levy $780,
10000 Of needed for the year and
they would have been entirely justified had they reduced the
valuation of the property in the state still further.
In any appropriations that be made by this legislature
those appropriations should be made and payable out Of
funds The State Board Of Equalization its meeting
in August Of this should eguaze the property of the state
that the constitutional levy be made and that
the appropriations made by and sanctioned By the Gov
be paid The funds raised by the Board Of Equaiza
ton of 1916 for appropriations that be made by
but finish paying the appropriations made by the
legislature of 1915 for expenditures from July 1915 June
80 1917 The Board Equalization further felt view
of the light which had been raised wise reduce
the assessed valuation of the far possible without
Gripping the states finances and thereby make the
burden Of the state tax light for the people possible 1t
has been the custom for several levy each
twoets Of mill the assessed valuation oftheproperty
of the state for State Bond Sinking Fund but for the
OF 1916 for the above stated thought
do this There bonds for
In the State Bond Interest Fund have the time
sufficient money the interest all bonds
June 1918. We been levying a upon
the assessed valuation of the property Of the year
for bond interest This not and levy
made for bond sinking fund bond interest saving to
the people of the state Of treetenhs Of mill
assessed valuation of the state total Of about O00O0
This added to the saving made to the people by the reduction
OF the thirty millions in the assessed valuation previously
referred to- makes total saving to the people OF North Dakota
in the 1916 state taxes Of approximately $225OO0D0
In making appropriations the appropriations made beyond
the soaled fixed appropriations should be made available