Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-04
GROWERS :.
TO PAYIAX FOR
MAlgY!FAT JOBS
More than Half Million Dol
lars a Year for Grading
of Grain.
Governor signed it Although
He Vetoed Bill that would
Have Been Better.


ticular, are Just awakening to the fact
that senate bill No. 314. the grain
grading act. a league measure and
signed by the leagues governor. inn
poses upon the North Dakota grain
grower a direct tax Of not less than
a half million dollars per annum.
Under the guise of a benevolent
piece Of legislation. 1T has been dis
covered, there masquerades one of the
most unfair acts Of class taxation
which any legislature has ever been
persuaded to pass. Senator Drown
Of Cass claimed the major credit for
the bill although It also bears the
name Of Senator Kirkeide, having
some of the features Of a bill offered
by the Benson county solon.
Senate bill No. 314. the grain and
was galloped through during the clos
ing hours Of the ,;Slast session and
promptly signed by Governor Frazier.
Dr., Ladd. tho Big Boss.
It provides that no grain may be
graded BY a. licensed deputy. Fees
for grading are to be fixed at a stand
ard which win maintain this vast
machine. Of which DR.. p. F. I.add is
at the head. and which will. further.
set aside as per cent Of the entire
cost Of operation to create a fund for
building public grain storage ware
houses (terminal elevators) within the
state.
wherever the town or community
provides a suitable building and scales
for housing such deputy, DR.. Ladd is
to name a public deputy weigher and
grader, and "the upkeep of said build
Ing and scales shall be borne by the
state out OF funds secured on account
| Of fees collected for inspecting and
weighing"
Plenty Of Fat Johs to Give Out.
There are in North Dakota $40 in
corporated villages which may be ex-
pected to make application for q
deputy inspector. The smallest ele-
vator pays its manager $500 per
annum. 1t Is reasonable to expect
that a man who possesses sufficient
experience to grade and dock and
weigh grain to the satisfaction OF
command $1,000 the year. which
would make the bill for this item
alone $4,000 per annum. and thi,
Goes not take into consideration more
than 500 stations in uainaorporated
ttowns where theS.loe ELEVATOR mar
! would be made a eeputy Inspector
entitled to oertaiN percentage OF
the fees for his servlses. y'
Presuming a mini,Aum cost Of $l0t
the year for the maintenance Of each
weighing and grading station, thil
item would amount to $4,000, or &
total Of $466.000 actual operating ex.
penses. To this. then, must be added
the Is per cent which is to be sc,
aside each year for the creation of 8
terminal elevator fund. or approx.
mately $4,000, raising the grand to-
tai which must come out Of the grair
growers pockets each year to more
than 100000. And this amount i.
the least which may be anticipated
The probabilities are that 1t will bi
much more.
Who Pays the Tax.
This tax. it will be noted. comes
is not distributed over all property
town and city lots. buildings, vacan
lands, railroad property. public utilt
ties. ETC., which under senate bill g.
the terminal elevator act which
Governor Frazier vetoed-would have
paid a very large per cent Of tn,
whole. Under senate bill 314. thu
grain grower pays it all, and he hal
no means Of evading the tax, as ever,
elevator is prohibited from buyint
grain which has not been graded b,
ono Of DR.. Ladd's inspectors.
i The fee exacted by the average pub
lie scales for weighing an ordinar,
load Of live stock. coal or other com
modify which need not be graded, Il
Is cents. It is safe to presume tina
10 cents will be regarded rs q reason
able fee for the grading, which is {
matter Of much more dinculty thar
the mere Weighing.
II IS Cents q Load Tax.
i This would mean that for each loa<
Of grain the farmer hauled to tn,
elevator he would be compelled t,
pay a tax Of Is cents. Of which. i.
cents would go toward the paymen
Of salaries Of inspectors and the cos
Of maintaining grading stations
while only six cents would be devoted
to the building of terminal elevators
In other words. to accomplish tn,
same result aimed at by senate bill
81, the North Dakoat grain grove
must pay four times as much unde
(seqate bill 814, and while under ,th,
former act his burden would hav'
been shared by the merchant. tn,
banker, the railroads. the publ,
utilities and the city property own
ers. under tho grain grading act, tn
Il grain grower goes 1t alone. -
Il NrnAR ~ s1sUN cYmVY