The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-04-03

Is raised on q valuation OF lO, ~, 5O
or 100 per cent. The amount OF the
tax to be raised is what interests the
farmers, not the assessed valuation OF
his land or the rate Of levy. And in
stead Of being compelled to pay twice
or three times the amount of his total
taxes last year, the average farmer
next year will only have to pay about
1851 a quarter section more than The
had to pay In 1918. 4
Increase 8 Cents Per Acre.
Last year the farm lands Of the
state were assessed on the average
valuation Of $5.48 per acre OF $S76.SO
per quarter section. This year, as
Stunning that land will be raised from
a - per cent valuation to a 100 per
cent valuation, the average valuation
will be $1S.25 an acre or 1929 per
quarter section. In 1913 the state levy
was 4.3 mills and the state tax on an
average quarter section was 1917. In
1919 the probable state levy will be
3.21 mills and the state tax on the
average quarter section will be $o.3a,
an increase Of 1851 per quarter sec
ton. In other words the tax on land
has increased from 2.33 cents to 5.80
cents per acre. .-. ~
Prove It Yourself.
The accuracy of these figures can Be
checked by the following test: The
total sum to be raised next year by
taxation Is $3,863, OIL 5. The valua.
ton of farm lands is placed at $780,
10000 or almost exactly 60 per cent
Of the entire valuation of $1,2O0 Co.,.
600. Therefore as the farm lands
comprise 60 per cent Of the total as.
sessed valuation they will have to pro
duce 60 per cent Of the entire ststa
revenue and 60 per cent Of $685..
'O21.O5 is $2,317,812, while a tax of
$50 cents an acre or $9.38 a quarter
section on the A, 900 acres Of this
state would produce $2,57S,4O0 OF
more than the amount required. This
surplus is accounted for by the fact
that railroad r~ight-of-way and school
lands are deducted from the total state
acreage of 100000. This formula
proves, however, that the foregoing
assertions are absolutely correct, as
the same result is arrived at by cross
figuring . The same cannot be said of
figures given out by Auditor Kosftzky
and the absolutely erroneous calcula.
tons some of the state officials and
subsidized newspaper correspondents
have given out. ..
A Check IN Increases.
Furthermore the last legislature
passed a law which provided that local
and county school equalization boards
! cannot increase the amounts of local
county and school taxes more than &c
per cent, thereby protecting the peo'
pie against any considerable increase
in local taxation as a result Of the
increased assessed valuation, sc that
according to reliable estimates by
members Of the State Tax Commission
the total revenue for state, county
school and local purposes raised from
the people of North Dakota next yeal
will not exceed $26, 900 instead Of
$4O,O0O,OOO as the Fargo Forum and
Grand Forks Herald falsely alleged.
A Small Increase.
This increase e the sum Of $40,
OOO,OO0-the total tax paid for state
county, school and local purposes las,
years. remarkably small when the
general increase in the cost Of living
is considered. Everything the state
buys has greatly increased in value
Even postage and railroad fare almost
doubled. Labor, coal, stationery and
food and all other material which the
state ses has doubled or trebled In
price. Under these circumstances the
state is compelled to increase It's ap.
preparation.
Will Eventually Decrease.
Furthermore the last legislation
created several new state industries
the Bank Of North Dakota, the term.
inal elevator and -four mill association,
the bureau of immigration, state hail
insurance, home building association,
and it was necessary to appropriate
huge sums of money to get these pro.
jects under way. The state also levied
a half mill tax for the soldiers com.
%pensation fund. This has, made the
appropriation for the biennial much
larger than before, but it must be re.
membered that after the enterprises
are under way the profits will reduce
the amount required for taxation and
that after 1920, when the income tai
is In operation, the general property
tax actually will be less than 1t wal
in 1913.
Opposition Explained.
These new revenue measures explain
the opposition OF papers like the Fargo
Forum and the Grand Forks Herald
They are not concerned whether the
farmers pay more taxes or not, but
they are apprehensiye lest they BIZ
business hackers for the first time in
the history Of the state will be forced
to bear their just burdens of taxation
and this is exactly what these new
revenue measures compel them to do
These bills are passed on the princi,
pie that those who have the most
should pay the most to support the
government and great corporations
and citizens individually who have
lodged their taxes for years will BIZ
made to pay their share for the first
time. That Is why papers of the
stripe of the Forum and Herald pro
test so volubly. They dare not state
their real reasons for opposing thu
league taxation program and are con
Quoting q camoufaged campaign.
Flowers In Salads.
The primrose Is only one OF thu
many flowers which graced the salad
Of the past. The old-time cook looked
unon he flower garden and kitchen