The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-03-14
,r than upon industry.

The Redistribution bill provides
for the assessment of all lands, city
buildings used for profit, and public
utilities, including flour mills and ele-
vators, at 100 per cent. City build
ings used as homes by their owners,
and all personal property, are as
sessed at so per cent. Farm build
ings and improvements and $1,000
worth of farm equipment and ma
chinery are exempt.
Linked with this law is the income
tax law, which exempts $1,000 for
single men and $4,000 for married
men and those with dependents, and
then starts with small tax, one
fourth OF per cent on earned in
comes and one-half of l per cent on
unearned incomes, as compared with
6 per cent under the federal law.
Thus the income tax law rests light
ly upon possessors of small incomes.
Those who have paid personal pro-
perty taxes may produce their tax
receipts as a set off against that
much of income taxes. For larger
incomes, especially those derived
from stocks and bonds, the tax be-
comes much larger. There is a 5
per cent tax on net incomes of COR
porations. The law is calculated to
raise S1,0O0,000 a year, all of which
will come from persons easily able
to pay it and will relieve others of
that much taxation.
Other tax laws provide a tax upon
outstanding stocks and bonds of
corporations above the first $4,000,
tax on oil, designed also to penal
iZe substitute gasolines and oils
which fail to meet state standards,
and tax on motor vehicles. The
latter tax will be spent on highways,
every dollar raised by the state being
matched with dollar provided by
the federal government.
LABOR LEGISLATION
The North Dakota legislature has
enacted the most advanced program
of labor legislation ever put into eff
feet by any legislature. Among the
most important of these measures
are:
A workmen's compensation act,
providing state insurance for all in
jured workmen and their dependents
|. A coal mining code, protecting coal
miners against dangerous conditions,
establishing an eight-hour day and
prohibiting the employment of chill
, dren underground.
A minimum wage law for women
and law establishing 48 hours as
the maximum work week for women
or minors, with a maximum of 8h
hours work in any one day.
An anti-injunctlon law to prohibit
employers from using the courts to
coerce workmen in labor troubles, ex-
cept to the extent of protecting pro-
perty from destruction.
A full crew bill, insuring the safe
ty of the travelling public.
A law providing for the use of the
union label on state printing.
MISCELLANEOUS LEGISLATION
Under this head may be listed the
state fire insurance bill and the state
bill for bonding of public officials.
These provide for the state taking
over these forms of insurance, charg-
ing the came rates that are now
charged by private companies until
sufficient reserve is built up, when
rates will be lowered.
The state hail insurance bill makes
a fiat levy of cents per acre on all
tillable land in the state, whether it
is cultivated or not The remainder
of the money necessary to pay hail
losses will be raised by a pro rata
acreage levy on all cropped land.
Owners who do not want state in
surance can withdraw after paying
the first Scent assessment.
Amendments to the state grain
grading and inspection act provide
that grain dealers must hereafter
pay for any valuable dockage taken
with grain. The amended bill also
authorizes the state grain depart
ment to fix fair margin of profit
for the handling of grain by elevat-
ors, after an investigation to show
the investment and cost of operation
of typical elevators in the state.
The North Dakota legislature was
the first in the Union to pass a con-
current resolution indorsing not only
the league of nations, but also all of
L ISSluSHG IlSOIi ldLlOuo II
points,"
The North Dakota legislature has
submitted to the voters for approx
al at the 1920 election constitution
al amendment providing for full
woman suffrage.
"Graft" in public printing has
been cut out by passage of bill pro-
viding one paper, instead of three in
each county to do public printing,
this paper to be designated by the
voters. Until the next general cleo
ton official papers will be designated
by state officers.
10 further economy and efficiency
the state penal and charitable insti-
tutions and the state educational in
stitutions are all to be under con-
troll of a single board. This board
also is given authority to investigate
the "school book trust and to re-
port upon the desirability of state
printing of school books.
The state tax commission is re-
duced from three members to one
member and the Office of state immi-
grafton commissioner is created, to
spread information about the advant-
aUac that North Dakota offers t0