The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-28
going to ask you IN the small time
left at my disposal
KOSITZKY,S OPENING ADDRESS

= & ~ d ~
KOsITzKY,s OPENING ADDRESS
j Mr.. Kositzky: Ladies and gentle-
Imen--There is no doubt in my mind
but what the leaders OF the non -parti-
san league tried to force on the peo-
4 pie OF this state tax laws which would
in time con1iscate certain classes of
property by an unfair and unjust sys-
\ tenn of taxation. AS evidence of the
i fact have here some of the original
bills, or copies of the bills introduced
during the fOrepart of the last session
of the legislature, but on account OF
several of us state officials objecting
to the viciousness ofythese measures
they ware finally amended Senate
Bill 43 in part reads: "All real and
personal property subject to a gen
teral propertyttax not exempted by law
and not subject to any gross sales or
other lieu tax is hereby classified for
purposes Of assessment or taxation
as follows: Glass one shall include
the following, which shall evalued
and assessed at 100 per cent OF the
I full and true value thereof; all I'M
used land or lands of any other kind
or description Glass 2 shall include
the following, which shall be valued
and assessed at GO per cent OF the
full and true value thereof" All un-
used lands. Now that would work
lSomething like this
Mrs. Slattery's Lot
1--WE will take MRS. Slattery's lot az
a comparison. Mrs. Slattery owns
vacant lot kitty-corner from the post
office. We will say that lot is worth
$4,000. Roy Logan has a used lot
adjoining worth $4,000. The assessor
comes along this year. and. say this
law had become a, law, he would as
sess Mrs. Slattery's lot at $4,000 and
Roy Logan's lot at $4,000, and we will
say that the tax rate Of Burleigh coun-
ty and the city Of Bismarck Is per
cent this year. Applying the S per
cent ony Mrs. Slqttery's unused lot
would produce $500 in taxes, while
Roy Logan's used lot which was as
sessed at 60 per cent Of its true value
would produce $500 in taxes. so Mrs. |
Slattery would be paying $500 a year
for an unused lot, while Roy Logan
would be paying $500 for used lot,
and this can be applied to other real
estate, lands in the country, unused |
lands as we'll as used lands. Senate !
Bill AZ in part reads as follows: All |
property described in this section to |
the extent herein limited shall be ex-I
empt from taxation. That is to say,
and improvements used as |
homes on town or city lots to the |
amount of $4,000, provided that the |
total value Of such structures and i'm !
proyenents be not in excess Of So, 500. |
How will that work?
zas Draws Comparison |
1--WE will say here are three homes !
in row. The first house cost $4,000, |
the second house cost $500, and the |
third house because, of better splumb- !
ing or because it is painted little |
better is worth $4,000, the first house |
would not pay any taxes at all, the
second house $40, and the third house |
worth 500 more would pay $72. That !
is what that would do, and in time
any person owning property worth
more than $4,000 would be paying
more taxes than probably ten or fiji
teen houses adjoining it. 1t works
also this way. We will say a large
owner of houses could build ten or
fifteen houses, each valued at $4,000,
he could rent those houses and get
Il
wouldn't have to pay cent of taxes,
but if man owned house worth
$4,000 he would be paying taxes for
the privilege of living in his own
house. Now these tax laws were
amended because several Of us state
officials appeared before the tax COM
mittee and objected to the yiciousness
OF these measures. buG, &c ,s..t 1q llc
The Courier News and the Leader,
the kept press, you might say, are say
ing, why didn't these officials who
are Directing to the measures appear
in the caucus. Mr.. LANCER and INdid
appear in caucus several times, and
we talked to some of the members
about these measures, but what was
the next thing we heard, "they~are
trying to run things" The law pro-
vides that as state auditor OF this
state l have a perfect right to appear
before any legislative body, not only
that but section 1872 provides that the
state auditor shall submit recon-
mendations for the improvement and
management of the public revenues,
etc. So as a state Official I had a
perfect right to object to these laws,
and as tax payer also had a per-
feet right to object to these laws. l.
went before the tax committee several
times as you all know, and objected
to these measures, and Mr.. Mees and
several other members took up my
fight, and they were finally amended.
But what next? Mr.. Townley called
me up in his room and damned me
because / went before the tax COM
mittee. He said we have experts hired
to draft these laws, and we are paying
them big salaries, and you have no
business down there. Your business
is up in that Office. Now they are
falling weIshould have appeared be-
fore the caucns If we had any. Objec-i
tons to make. believe that our ed
ucational institutions Mn this state
have during the past twenty or twen-
| ty-five years educated many men and
women who are able and competent
to draft any law which the people of
this state desire placed on our statute
books. 1 believe that the attorney
general and his assistants are able,
efficient and competent to draft any
law that the people of this state de-
fsire placed on our statute books. l
don't believe that it was necessary
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