The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-11-27
|. Y. A. FALSEHOOD ABOUT
TOWNER COUNTY TAXES EXPOSED
ATTEMPT MADE TO STEAL ELECTION JUGGLING FIGURES
NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS WILL MUCH TAXES
THIS YEAR THAN MINNESOTA FARMERS

valuation $1,oss, $4,000, increase ST.
719 10000
This is a valuation two and three
fourths times greater than the 1918
valuation. The increased valuation
made in 1917 added to the increased
valuation this year totals an increase
practically five times greater than
formerly, or about the same increase
as has been made on farm property.
Town Valuation
Here is included all real and person
al property in all cities, towns and
villages in the county.
1919 valuation, $685. ,352.OO; 1918
valuation, 6S7, ,675.0O. Increase, $780,
677O0
This is a valuation three times
greater than in 1918. Under the new
tax laws all homes of the cheaper kind
in towns and villages are exempted
from taxation. The exemption of such
properties makes the difference be-
tween five-fold land valuations and
three-fold town valuations. With char
acteristic cunning the I. V. A. papers
speak only of the land tax of the
farmers in 1918. They leave out of
their comparisons the taxes the farm
ers paid on homes and improvements
last year, but do not pay this year.
This makes considerable difference in
their comparisons this year between
town and farm taxes.
Crowning Misstatement
Now comes the crowning misstate-
ment of the opposition, that the tax
increase over last year in all Towner
county is 232 per cent, while the in
crease to the farmer is BAT per cent.
In order to give FEASIBILITY to such
misstatement they figure in the farm
ers' tax the hail insurance, which is
an insurance on their crops and will
all be returned to the farmers this
year with the exception of the actual
operating expense of the insurance
system.
Fo swell the actual figures as much
asspessible in their own favor, the op.
position also includes the soldiers
compensation, therefore, placing it.
self secretly and treacherously on rec
ord as being opposed to helping our
boys to homes and education who risk
ed their lives for us practically with
out pay. Either the opposition should
not charge the soldier tax up against
the League as something to be con-
demned, as they are doing, or thew
should come out in the open, like men
and show their true colors on the ques-
ton Of paying soldiers.
Juggling Figures
According to the l. v. A. figures the
1919 tax levy of 2.98 on the 1919 land
valuation of S26 5,115. 90 produced in
ToWner County state taxes amount
ing to $78,121.04, hail tax at cents
per acre cost, 175000O, total farm
tax this year, $95,621.O4.
Continuing, the opposition figures
the actual increase in taxes to the
Towner county farmers this year as
follows: Total tax last year, $2S, ,78S. 80
Increase, $66,s92.22. This SAYS the on.
position, shows a farm tax 347 great
er than the 1918 tax.
What are the facts?
They are that the soldiers compen.
sation is included in this estimate and
it cannot be, unless the opposition is
ready to condemn and set aside this
compensation. This compensation is a
half mill levy on the total valuation
leaving real mill tax levy of 2.48
instead of 298. The total tax cannot
be legitimately included in this table
because it is an insurance and is near
~ all returned to the farmer.
Truth About Tax
A fair estimate is as follows: 1918
tax levy cf 2.48 on $26 215, ,115.OO val
uation, $65,013.49; 1918 tax levy ct
4.3 on $4,092 955 40 valuation, $685.
1882; Increase, $36,284.67.
This is 227 per cent higher state
taxes this year tFan last year, instead
OF BAT per cent higher as the |. v. A.
Claims. This is two ard a quarter
times as big tax, or little more than
double.
State taxes for all purposes were in
creased practically two and half
times over last year, so that the Town
er County farmer is not paying more
than his proportionate share, and cor
porations and town business is not get
ting off easier. as the l. v. A. claims,
when its own figures show that this
farmer is paying only two and a
quarter times last years state taxes.
But when his total state, county
school, township ard even hail tax
are al figured in. the difference be-
tween this year and last year is not
SO great.
Tex About Doubled
5S II McCoyfxy NEL o m 1s1 . Ne