The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-16

la store against lean years which are
sure to come. This they did in ancient
Rome, but soon the state became bank
rupt and went under. No country can
hope to. succeed and prosper unless
the great majority Of the people are
given the habits of thrift and industry.
Our Indians were good Socialists; they
had all America before them and un
der their control, and yet they roamed
over endless wealth, living from hand
to mouth or starving because thew
knew nothing of thrift and industry.
and because they knew not the means
| and the benefits of securing individual
titles to property. No man will sow
that another may reap the harvest.
Were it not for the ties Of the home
and property, in one generation most
of the humans would revert to the
state of the American Indians. In the
human race, as in lower animals. 1T is
much easier to breed down than to
build up. Our statute on picketinq
and striking is no compliment to- the
wage earners.g 1t classes them down
las infants by permitting them to dis
regard their contracts and to assume
state of idleness and lawlessness,
whereas the power to make valid and
binding contract is blessing to every
honest and intelligent person, What
if Jacob had not been able to make a
binding contract to work seven years
for Rachael and then seven years for
her sister? Why, we might never
have heard Of the Jewish race or Mos
es and the Prophets.
Yes, Pm glad we are soon to have
an extra session to make laws regu-
lating the state funds, state industries,
the appropriations and the taxes. To
a great extent Mr.. Kositzky, the state
auditor is right, in trying to show that
taxation and the state expenses have
been running wild. In time l purpose
to write that up and to give the exact
figures that no man can dispute; and
to do it specially for the good OF the
League, because the. League. cannot
live and prosper without reducing tas-
es and expenses. With the exception
of interest on the state debt very
small item-the state tax is limited
to four mills on the dollar of the as
sessed valuation of taxable property
in the state. Now, regardless of the
four mill limitation, we have motor
vehicle tax amounting to about mil
lion year, enough to meet all the nee
essafy expenses of the state; also, a
money and credits act of three mills
on the dollar, a per capita tax on law
yers and dentists, and the income tax,
which of itself may produce four mills
on the dollar. True it is that some of
those taxes may be held and adjudg-
ed under new regime, $1S5,O0O.OO.
the force of the argument.
\ The state expense look how it climbs
up.
F. w. Cathro, Director General, sal
airy $4,000 year.
August 23d to September 23d, room
and board at the Mckenzie Hotel,
.s157.O0. s..-s
Yearly salary of employees appoint
ed under ney regime, S135, 100000.
Appraisement of Drake Mill, $503. SO
1t must be that the Director General
is an awfully wise man, with salary
twice as much as the Governor and
the Judges of the Supreme Court. He
knows enough to charge the state for
his room and board at the grand Nc
nzie Hotel while Ia ju.ist of fame
and fortune-go round looking for
crusts to rebuke the high cost of living
But in. future, I may profit by his ex-
ample. Then think of five hundred for
an appraisal of the hinky dinky Drake
mill. Would ever any private 4pur
chasers pay so much for an appraisal?
To make public ownership success
the special session must arrange to
put strict limit to salaries and ex-
penses. If public service cannot be
made as cheap and as efficient as pri-
waite service, then We must look for the
wreck and ruin of public ownership.