The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1919-11-21
JUDGE ROBINSON SEES CARL
K0SIlZkY IN A NEW LIGHT

Venerable League Jurist Halls
insurgent Auditor as
John the Baptist
WARNS THE ToWNLEYiTEs
Associate Justice Says Waste,
Extravaganza, High Taxes
Spell Doom
State Auditor Carl R. Kositzky, the
most radical of the league insurgents
has been called great many names
by supporters of President A. c.
Townley Associate Justice James E.
Robinson of the Supreme Court has
a new one for the state auditor. In
his Saturday Evening Letter of this
date Judge Robinson says:
"Kositzky is second John the
Baptist-the voice of one crying in
confession is good for the soul, he ex-
poses the wrong instead of cloaking
and covering it up. Very justly. he
cries out against excessive taxation
and public extravaganza. He shows
how the last assessment of land was
Increased more than four fold over
all the other assessments, and how
there was then added a general aver
age Of about thirty percent. This
more than doubles the taxes for the
coming year, in addition to all the
other levies. BY excessive and illeg.
al taxation Charles the First lost his
royal head Great Britain lost her
American colonies. and the present
state administration is in great dan
ger of losing the next general cleo
ton.
Heed, o heed, Kositzky's warn
ing" cries the venerable jurist at the
opening and closing of his letter, i'll
which, he shows up number of in
stances of alleged extravaganza, waste
or poor management.
SATURDAY EVENING LETTER
CBy Justice j. E. Robinson)
November Is, 1919.
Heed, o heed Kositzky's warning.
kositzky is second John the Bap-
tist-the voice of one crying in the
wilderness prepare We the way of the
Lord, make his path straight. Be-
lieving that honest confession is good
for the soul he exposes the wrong in
stead eof cloaking and covering 1t up.
Very Justly he cries out against ex-
cessive taxation and public extrava-
gance. He shows how the last as
i ssessment OF land was increased more
four cold ssessa
fySefit ts and how there was then added d
general average of about thirty per-
cent This more than doubles the
taxes for the coming year in addition
to all other levies.
BY excessive and illegal taxation
Charles the First lost his royal head,
Great Britain lost her American col
ouies, and the present State Admin
istratfon is in great danger Of losing
the next general election. But there
is still time to- undo the wrong. to
pass a statute with an emergency
clause reducing all tax levies fifty
percent, and permitting payment IN
two equal installments on or before
March first and November first, the
same as=in South Dakota. There is
time to repeal some bad statutes such
as those encouraging strikes, picket.
ing and martial law; and to repea
the statute to prevent men and ;Wo-
men from exercising their inalienable
right to acquireshroperty by doing an
honest days work.
Tha tax is a relic of feudal barbar-
ism. II is the greatest of all pubic
nuisances. II state cannot live ana
nnosper without the. levying OF taxes
then there must be sad lack OF WIS
dom and capacity in those VINO con-
troll the affairs of the state.
Now, in a, few days the solons ana
u,;aa men from the East do meet at
the Capitol to correct their own errors
and to restrain and curb those young
thoroughbreds who desplse correctlon
and who are continually kicking
over the traces" But Kositzky, ne
1nnst be- given a clean bill of health
With due commendation because ne
;s good worker, he does not fear to
sneak the truth and he has done the
neoDle a great service by continually
nointing out the rocks on which ahe
shin OF state is in danger or Delng
wrecked.
Under the new laws and assess
uants we have new boards and bur-
cans and new ways of making !av'
ssh exnenditure of public money. we
hava methods of taxation unknown
+o5 tf,e constitution. There is a motor
va1,icIe tax almost sufficient to pay all
nncessary expense of the state; lax
on income; a special tax on LAWYERS,
" 3 three mill, tax on debts, moneys anu
credits. In short, it seems that every
+ devise has been resorted to TOR the
4-nurpose Of increasing the tax burdens.
Then in their unbounded confluence
the solons and wise men have gwen
tha Governor, his boards and bureaus
authority to fix salaries and tlties
and, to incur expenses without limit
Hence the new annual pay roll Is
nearly $500, 900 in addition to the regu'
lar Day roll. For the first time IN
the history Of the state we read OF
men getting $4,000 a year; and three
four or ave Thousand dollars is quite
= common. /
q, The motor vehicle tax gives the
1 Secretary of State power to expend
all the tax. for the purpose Of collect
: Ing It.. That part Of the statute ou1
Court has held void. The law gives
: the Highway Commission the power tc
expend as they please so much Of &the
tax as may. be put 10 their credit.