Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-25
STATE TAXES

The staz levy for North Dakota for this year. for ali
state purposes, as Just hxed by the taxing authorities at
Bismarck. Is s4.511,7ss, which is to be reached by q levy
OF 2.s$ mills on the general taxable property Of the state
as finally equaltzed by the state board. Tit. last proceed
ins levy was for $l,7s2,sss.. The general property tax
collected BY tho state viii therefore be Z little moro than
two and one-hAlf times the tax Of last year.
There has been much speculation as to the amount
ofShe nsw tax, and several estimates Of the amount have
been made. Administration officials and .Townley pap
pers, knowing that the increased taxation would call for
some explanation. have sought to muddle the issue by
presenting complicated sets OF figures, and have sought to
create the impression that, aside from levies made
for certain special purposes. the new taxes would be very
lttls. II any. higher than the old,
The Fargo Courier News, in a recent tax article, cas-
tgates State Auditor Kositxky in connection with certain
OF his estimates which 1t calls the wild guesses Of an ir-
responsible and incompetent state auditor. It refers to
the "antt-farmer" press as having given currency to the
state auditors 'guesses," and as having endorsed them.
The Courier News says that the auditor declared that tho
taxAevy would amount to $4,000, 900. and it points. to the
actual levy as proof that tho auditor was talking through
hts hat s
The Herald has at different times published estiA
mates made by Mr.. Kosttzky, just as 1t has published
others made BY the Courier News, without, however. en-
dorstnE either of them. Mr.. Kosnzky may at some time
have estimated the tax levy at IS, 1000, 600. but IL he did
that fact has escaped the attention Of this paper. We
have q distinct recollection, however that the auditor
estimated that the. state tax levy would amount to about
eb,eso,ooo. an estimate which was ridiculed by the cour-
Ter News and other Townley papers. Yet in the same
issue which ridiculed the auditors estimate the Courier
News made one of its own, which was, in substance. that
the assessed valuation as equalized would approximate
$l,e0o. ooo,eo and that a state levy of 5 mills on this
valuation would be necessary. On the basis Of the. gen.
eral belief that three times le is 4s The Herald pointed
out that this would mean a tax of $4,000. 600, which close
" approached the auditors estimate. The actual levi
is about half a million less than the auditors estim ate.
which scarcely warrants the estimate being called a wild
guess. '
Aside from estimates and epithets, the sole fact IL that
the taxpayers Of the state are to be called on this wear
to pay into the state treasury 2h times what they paid
last year. Deducting three quarters Of a million for the
seldiers' fund and a quarter Of a million for demands
made by the Industrial program" we are more than
doubling the taxation of last year. In other words. aside
from the two items mentioned. those who pay the general
property taxes Of the state will be required this year to
pay two dollars for each dollar that they paid under the
last levy.
But this ia not all The Herald has referred ia those
WHO pay the general property taxes Of the state. Thu
STATE now has several sources Of revenue which It had
not pefore. 1t has q new income tax law and "a new
inheritance TAX law. It Is collecting a gasoline tax which
mas net bean collected before. It is collecting q tar on
moneys and credits apart from the general property
tax. And 1t has taken from the cities ana Villages. the
incense fees which in the past have formed a considerable
part OF their revenue.
Just What these taxes will amount to is not known ex-
achy at this time. but during the legislative session the
commission:
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