The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-11-28
LEAGUE JURIST
INSISTS BURDEN
MUST BE RAISED
Supreme Court Justice Calls At.
tenti0n Once More to Ex-
cessive Levies ..
ASSAILS. CONFISCATION
Declares Multiplicity of Mulct-
ing Will Result in Rev0lu-
ton in State
ASSA1LS. CONFISCATION

llOn IN STATE
Addressing to the legislature his
second message Of the present spe-
cial session, Associate Justice James
e. Robinson, league member of the
supreme court, this afternoon pre-
diets revolution if the excessive tax
burdens in this state are not reduced.
His official message is as follows:
MESSAGE NO. 2.
BY JUSTICE J. E. ROBINSON.
To the Lawmakers bs..
Gentlemen:
Can you discern the signs of the
times? Have you heard from the
election in Towner County, and 90
you know what it portends? AS
think, it shows that there is a grow
ing revolt--a revolution against the
assessments and the tax levies for
this year. The revolt has only be-
gun; it is sure to spread and grow
stronger and stronger unless some
lnlng IS done to stop IL. And 1t is
now or never.
AS you know, the assessment is
four and one-nalf times greater than
in any former year, and the result is
that all the TAX levies are grossly eX-
cessive What must we do to he
saved? The proper remedy is to un-
do the WrOngs-tO pass an act with
an emergency clause reducing all the
tax levies fifty per cent; also Dill
reducing some OF the appropriations,
and bill cutting out all needless eX-
penses.
Under the constitution all property
must be assessed for taxation IL the
district in which it is Situated. Then
the taxes must be levied pursuant TO-
law by the strae and the several mll-
inequalities. Aside from lite small
sum necessary to pay interest on the
state debt, the state may levy no tax
in any one year In excess OF four
mills on the dollar of the assessed
valuation. All property must be tax
ed by uniform rule according to its
true value in money These provi-
sions of the constitution may not oe
evaded by excessive valuations or by
levying specific taxes, such as the
motor vehicle tax, the money and cred
its tax, the income tax, a. head tax
on lawyers, doctors and clergymen A.
person has a right to live and to 90
an honest business without paying Il
head tax. With few weXceeption all the
property of the state must be assessed
for taxation in the county, township,
CITY or village in which it Is situated.
The assessment must be made in the
manner prescribed by law, and not by
the arbitrary act of any board! Rev
A;oio {n Of tho
of the state for each year, not TO eX-
ceed four mills on the dollar, must be
levied on the valuation Of all prop
erty and not on anything else. Now
on the assessment of any prior year
the annual state tax of this year is
twelve mills on the dollar, and the
specific tax levies are nearly another
twelve mills, or in all, twenty four
mills. The result is that all the tax
levies are grossly excessive. The
remedy is to undo the wrong, to re-
duce all the regular annual tax leyies
fifty per cent, and tos cut out all the
other levies. Will you do it? This is
your last chance.
Besides this, there are several stat
utes which should be either repealed
or amended. Thus far in this year,
under the Workingmen's Compensa-
ton act there has been levied and
collected tax of about half mil
lion dollars. The Compensation Board
has purchased and adopted an enOr-
nous rate schedule which it has new
er published and which it has agreed
to hold in confidence. The rates arc
in general drastic, arbitrary and ex-
cessive. If the act is valid, the rate
schedule is part of the law and as
such it should he made and published
by the law makers. as a part of the
act On the constitutionality Of the
acc our judges seem to differ and
there is no telling how it may be de.
cided. hold that it is not cOnstitu.
tional. The act should be either re.
pealed or amended. recommend that
K you adopt the Washington Compensa.
ton Statute with proviso for re.
. funding all the excess on rates which
have been paid.
AT the last Session there was pass.
ed a mining code Of q pages. It's pro-
visions are numerous, drastic, oner-
Gus and almost prohibitive. 1T has
greatly impaired and restricted the
coal mining business Of the state,
IT should be repealed or amended SO
as to express all necessary reghla
tions in few plain, simple para
graphs.
At the last Session it seems there
was some pandering to wit, known
rs the labor vote. Acts were passed
A to permit or encourage strikes, picket
4 ing, trespassing and idleness. Now in
a democracy where all men are equa
there is no reason for giving such
boy privilege to any class OF per
sons. There is no reason for insult
ing wage earners by CHASING them
with children or feeble minded per
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