The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-16

J fore the people at this time, and ar
rive at any such conclusion In order
to understand the purpose Of this
: measure we will have to go back a
little and study its meaning. Henry
, George was the father of the single
tax doctrine. His theory was that all
taxes should be raised from the land ;
that the land was the source Of all
!, wealth. and, consequently. should be
the only class OF property taxed. But
there is a deeper meaning even tina
appears from this statement. The
real meaning OF this proposed amend
ment is that If land pays all taxes,
the taxes will become SO high as to
be confiscatory with the result that the
land will be taken over by the state,
getting back once more to the social
list doctrine that no individual has any
right to own land.
"They tell you this is aimed at the
speculatOr: that the farmers Of North
Dakota improve the land and the spec
ulatOr gets the benefit of the local
improvements and consequently the
farmers should pay no taxes on the
improvements This argument sounds
quite plausible insofar as it goes, but
what about all classes of property
other than farm land. What possible
injustice can be done by taxing all
property wherever found? Why should
the man with one hundred thousand
dollars invested in farm mortgages
pay no tax, while the farmer who is
trying to pay off the mortgage also
pays all the tax? 1t seems to me that
even from selfish motives the last
| oil <>f nnr NJ
me in favor of single tax is the
farming class.
"Thc purpose of taxation is to
raise money to run the govern
ment. II we eIiminote personal
property from taxation we must
correspon dingy raise the levy on
! real property, as the money must
come from somewhere. But for
any man to claim that in order to
realize the small percentage Of
land which is owned in this state
by outside spectators it is neces-
sary to eliminate personal prop
erty from taxation, seems to be
too stupid for serious discussion.
congress is now working on sever
al idle Lands tax" by means of
| "ubSU " S0N oFSS~
land holdings.
Extend Appointing Power.
Section 1863 of the procosed con-
stitution. relative to the election OF
county officers, amends that section
to read as follows:
Provided. that the legislative as
sembly may provide by law for the
appointment of all officers named IN
this section.
what demand is there now. in this
state or ever has been. to take the
election of county officers out OF the
hands of the electors OF their own
counts and make the offices appoint
i've. without even stating who snali
have the appointive power? What
possible reason could these men nave
for desiring any such change in the
state constitution, unless to build up
and perpetuate political machine?
Safeguard School Funds
"Section 165 of the present con-
stitution reads as follows: -,
"'The legislative assembly shall
pass suitable laws for the safe-keep-
ing, transfer and disbursement OF the
states school funds, and shall require
all officers charged with the same, or
the safe-keeping thereof, to give
ample bonds for all monies and funds
received by them. And if any of the
said officers shall convert to his own
use in any manner or form, or shall
loan with or without interest, or shall
than in the name of the state of North
deposit in his own name or otherwise
Dakota, or shall deposit in any bank,
or with any person or persons, or eN-
change for other funds or property,
any portion of the school funds afore-
said, or purposely allow any portion OF
the same to remain in his own hands
uninvested, except in the manner pre-
scribed by law, every such act shall
lconstitute an embezzlement of so
much of the aforesaid school funds as
shall be thus. taken or loaned or de-
posted or exchanged or withheld, and
shall be felony. Any failure to pay
over, produce or account for the state
school funds, or any part of the
same, entrusted to any such officer, as
by law, required or demanded, shall
be held and taken to be prima facie
evidence of such embezzlements.'
"This entire section was omitted in
the proposed constitution known as
House Bill "A. Can anyone imagine
why? There is just one great fund of
money owned by the state of North
Dakota, and that is the money de-
rived from the sale of school lands
and interest upon such money. This
land was set aside for school pur-
poses, by the trainers of the constitu-
ton and so surrounded by safeguards
that not one dollar of it has ever been
lost and no portion of it, except the
interest, can be used, thereby perpet-
uating to the children of this state, a
continuous income for school pur-
poses, which insures to them educa
tional advantages that it would other
wise be impossible for them to enjoy.
1T is customary for banks, individ-
uals or corporations, to always put
up an indemnity bond whenever their
business necessities the handling of
trust funds, in fact, insofar as l am
aware, this procedure is absolutely I'M
iversal. And still, this coterie of Soc
ialist patriots, so Jealous in the in
terests of the people of this state.
want to amend the state constitution
in such manner as to withdraw every
possible safeguard from great pub
| lie fund entrusted by the federal gov