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

t8Nu UOWN, 10 DC sure we maOe 10 his
take about this. The average farm
acre in Burleigh county last year was
! assessed at $4.28. Therefore, the av-
erage quarter section was assessed at
$648.SO. Your state levy last year
was 4.3 mills, which makes the state
tax paid by the average quarter sec
ton in Burleigh county 1896. That is
exactly what l multiplied this sum by.
All right. Mr.. .Kositzky's estimate
of the new valuation estimated that
last year the land in this state was
assessed upon an average valuation
of 30 per cent, and Mr.. Kositzky's
own statement of the new valuation
will be obtained by increasing that 80
per cent 3 and one-third times, so
have taken Mr.. Kositzky's figures,
according to his own figures, the :av-
erage valuation of quarter Of Bur-
leigh county land this year, under the
new valuation, will be $14.25 an acre
or $3.50 a duarted section. Now
Mr.. Baker told you that the state
tax rate. would be 81 mills and then
he hedged a little bit and said he
didn't think it would DO quite 81 mills,
but believe in being generous. Mr..
Kositzky is being very generous in
his figures, and / am going to be in
mine, and ! am. going to give him the
benefit of the doubt one mill, so ]
am going to figure this 3.2 mills.
Admits Increase
&c. therefore, on the new valuation
which Mr.. Kositzky himself says will
be placed on the farm land, the
state tax this year will be $3.50
higher. That is the great in
crease that is going to, confiscate
your property and drive You into
bankruptcy and make you leave
this state, an increase. no, not
an increase, an increase of less than
$500 a quarter section. Now, we will
come to that. Last year the land
tax was 1926 a quarter section. Last
year your nersi nal property tax OF
twenty-seven hundred and some odd
dollars, divided upon !: quarter section
basis, amounted to .44.5 cents q quar-
ter, and last year your farm improve
ments scattered over the country
amounted to $122, 900, and if averaged
out and spread over every quarter sec
ton in Burle:gh county, amounted to
60 cents a quarter section, SO that
the total tax paid by the farmers. of
Burleigh county last year was S., AZ q
quarter section, and this year yo,l will
pay $3.50 a quarter section on your
land. That is, the average farmer.
Now, then you will pay, u cents a
quarter section as Il result of your
personal property, and that makes a
Total CT $500, quarter section, as
compared to $3,4g last year CIR an
increase of s4.55 a quarter section.
Gets Sarcastic ~. I,
"Ihst is the increase that is going
to drive you out of the state and into
bankruptcy, We 10 not even have
to rely on averages. ! have been up
to the; state treasurer's office and
state auditors office this week. I
have taken some figures off the tax
book. We don't even have to rely on
averages. I am going to show you
what two or three individual farmers
IN this county are actually paying,
and am going to compare these fig
ures with the figures that Mr.. K0sitzky
has given you and ask you how correct
you think his figures are But want
to ask if Mr.. C. 0. Engdahl IS in the
audience. Evidently he is not | think
you all know him Mr.. Engdahl~ lives
in Gibbs township. He has seven
quarter sections, a pretty good sized
farm. He has seven quarter sections
and last year he paid on personal
property worth 1875, and if Mr.. Eng
dahl can stand an increase in taxes
this year, l am sure most of you can
also"
Case of Mr.. Engdahl ....
That is what Mr.. C. o. Engdahl paid
in taxes last year on his seven quar-
tiers of land. He paid $2S1.32 taxes
last year for all purposes. That is not
his state tax, that is taxes for all
purposes, and / will tell you how that
tax was divided $27:24 was for the
state. $113.41 went to the county,
$6S. 43 went to the school district, $3.50
went to the. township, and $66.43 went
to the township road fund, so that all
told last year Mr.. c. 0. Engdahl paid
$2S1.32 taxes. How much, more is he
going to pay this year 2, RI. Mr.. Kositzky
would have you believe he is going to
pay two or three times as much more,
l have figured it very carefully ladies
and gentlemen. have added ten per
cent increase to the county general
fund, l have added 20, per cent in
crease, to the school fund, I have added
| 10 per cent increase to the township
fund, and l have added 20 per cent 70
the township road fund and l. have
| figured out his state taxes, exactly.
and l find that next year instead Of
paying tWo or three times what he
paid last year, Mr.. >Engdahl will pay
$349.91 when last year he paid $2S1.32
and that is the. state tax. ~. That is
an increase of $72, all told, but of that
| $72 only 1896 goes to the state; only
1896 goes to the state. and the rest
of that goes to the county and to, the
! township and school district. went
out to see Mr.. Engdahl the other day.
| I drove out to his farm and had long
talk with him, and showed Mr.. Eng
dahl this statement, and said Mr..
Engdahl probably this year your taxes
| will be increased from 1921 to $349.
Mr.. Engdahl says it is all right. 1
! said don't mind paying the tax If I
know the money is going for good
| purpose. He said don't mind paying
double the taxes for my school district
| out here because l know the children
Of my neighbors need the education.
! He said don't mind paying double
the taxes for roads because know
| 4 \ -