The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-28
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General Property Tax

ON rage Ou0)
| General Property Tax
Now Mr.. Kositzky told you WI
would have to raise six million dollar:
taxation this first year. am show
| ing you that the taxatioh for two
wears to be raised by general prop
erty will be $7OO4,O42. 10. Now this
wear one half of that amount will DC
raised. That will be $3,5O2 OIL ,O5
Now out of that .here will be about
1888 900 which will be raised by tar
on oil sales, a tax on corporations, q
tax on inheritances and other sources
leaving a total amount of tax which
will have to be raised on general
property this year $2,619, 021 .05. Now
| want to be perfectly candid ana 1a'f
about this. In addition to that the
legislature imposed a half mill tax 10
raise fund to lay our soldier boys
compensation. That fund VIII
amount to 100000. Mr.. Kositzky,
did not tell you that when he attacked
the administration for extravaganza,
he did not tell you that the biggest
single increase was 100000 which
was going to pay the soldiers who
fought for this state IN France. No,
he did not tell You chat. That is a
fact, ladies and gentlemen, that TINS
5000, 900 amount is going to pay the
soldiers who fought-ip France, and
$42O, 900 may have to be paid in inter.
est on the bonds. I 40 not think II
will be that high, but we will put II
at that. According to Mr.. .kositzky
$4,000 will have to be paid in in
terest not only on the extravaganza
of this legislature, but interest on
bonds LIT by the Hanna admlnistra-
ton ami several previous admmastra-
tons. 49,,
MIR. Kositzky says we will have to
pay $4,000 on that debt. Walie !
think he is high l am willing to give
him the benefit Of the doubt. That
makes a total expenditure raised Dy
taxation on general property OF So,-
,O2l.O5. vA..,. .u...
Kositzky Correct ~,
Now. Mr.. kositzky is correct about
one thing. He has been correct
throughout in this statement of what
the new valuation is going to be:
am going to accept Mr.: kOsltzky's
own figures for the new valuation
for next year, and Mr.. Kositzky's own
figures show the total valuation for
the next year will be 1929, 615,S5l:
Now he says that the mill levy Will
be as and probably five mills. Ladies
and gentlemen, a levy of 81 mills on
Mr.. Kositzky's own figures of the
state valuation will raise 1881 ,95O.5 So
or more than 100000 than will be
needed by the state administration
next year. Now two or three days
ago / saw a statement, and interview
by Mr.. Packard, ard Nj. Packard is
now one of the political bedfe!lowsI Of
Mr.. Kositzky. I saw the statement
by Mr.. Packard in the Bismarck Tri-
bune telling what an honest man Mr..
LYMAN Baker, secretary of the tax
commission was.
l., Too Honest For TOwnley ..
Mr.. Packard said he was too hon
est to be associated with the Town
lev outfit. Now l know Mr.. Kositzky
usually agrees with Mr.. Packard. /
know they agree in most things, and !
know Mr.. Kositzky also agrees that
Mr.. Baker is a very honest man. All
right, do not take my word for any
thing. figured it out and leave it
there in black and white, and L chal-
lenge Mr.. Kositzky to dispute my fig
ures. .a .,....~ .
Mr.. Walter Liggett:
Dear Sir:
In response to your inquiry of re-
cent date as to the probable state mill
levy for 1919, we beg to state that
our estimate is as follows: State rev.
enue 81 mills; state interest and
sinking fund Is mills; interest on
new bond issue .35 mills; soldiers
fund so mills, making a total of 81
mills"
Now listen to this statement by Mr..
Baker, secretary of the tax commits
sion. A little while ago told you
that interest would not be charged
on the ten million dollars bonds. You
do not. take my word for that either.
Mr.. Baker says the interest on the
bonds of the Bank of North Dakota
series and the mill and elevator series
must be provided for by the state levy
Of 1919. The authorized amount at
the rate of six per cent would be
$780, 900, and the secretary >of the In
dustrial commission has Informed us
that there is no probability Of the full
amount of these bonds authorized be-
ing issued in 1919, and consequently
our estimate of the levies to care
for the interest on these bonds is toe
high. Mr.. Baker says his own est.
mate is too high, The law authoriz-
ing this issue provides 4 sinking fund
shall not be levied until five years
before the maturity of the bonds. Con
sequently we have not included levy
for sinking fund.
First Real Estate Mortgages
The bonds of the State of NORTH
Dakota, real estate series, are to BIZ
secured by real estate first mortgages
and interest funds will not be provid
ed by state levy, but by the interest
derived from real property mortgageC
by these bonds. Very truly yours
North Dakota Tax Commission. Sign
ed by Mr.. l.. A. Baker, secretary. Now
have shown you that Mr.. Kositzky
has made some rather gross errors II
} figures by his state taxes, and I an
! going to show you that Mr. Kositzks
has also made some grossly erroneou.
statements in estimating the tax tha
the farmers Of this state are going K
pay next year. l am not going fal
afeld. Il am not going to the othel
end of North Dakota. / am not 60
ing to draw on my Imagination o.
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