The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-09-21
TAKES PUSH UP
THOUGH LEAGUE
TWISTS FIGURES
Nearly Tripled State Levy Alone
in Five Years, Real Figures
Show
PROPAGANDIST FIGURES
Triple Valuation, Raise More
Money, Tax is Reduced,
Roylance Explains
PROPAGANDIST FIGURES
STATE LEVY INCREASES

A graphic chart, showing the re-
markable increase in taxes under the
Nonpartisan administration, is shown
in tables produced today by F. E.
Packard, former member of the tax
commission.
They show an increase of the
amount from $1,4179S4 to $3,S93, 1915.
There is an increase for every year,
as the Nonpartisan league has in
creased the number Of offices and
bureaus in the state and added high
salaried appointive officers.
The statement is made in answer
to Prof. VIM. G. Roylance, "propa-
gandist" for the Bank of North Da-
kota, who is referred to as "late Of
the University of North Dakota, closet
economist and school room theorist." "
Figures Won't Lie:
The figures show how the Nom
partisan propagandists arrive at their
claims of reduced taxes. They show
fail to mention that the valuation has
increased and that the amount raised
by the tax levy has increased three
fold on the state levy alone.
Sometime before the state tax levy
for next year was fixed by the state
board of equalization, G. E. Wallace
tax commissioner, estimated that the
current tax levy for state purposes
would be about Z of one mill, ex-
elusive of the soldiers bonus. Mr.
Packard ventured that it would range
between 1.9 and 81 mills.
Prof. Roylance, in letter to the
Fargo socialist paper, assailed this
statement as distortion Of the truth.
He concluded: "A levy of g of mill
would more than cover the amount
Qevy for state purposes); . so that 1t
is plain that levy Of Z mills pro-
posed by Commissioner Wallace will
be ample" But when the levy was
fixed 1T was fixed not atsr3 of a mill
as Roylance suggested, but 10 mills
"The levy for the current year fixed
by the state board Of equalization was
for the general fund, 1.O44 mills; sink
ing fund, O.O5 mills; interest fund
O.O56 mills; total, 1.150 mills, or near
ly four times as great as Prof. Roy
lance declared would be ample. Add
ing to this O.75 mills for the soldiers
bonus, we get 49, mills" said Mr.
Packard's statement.
Add Some More Taxes
"On valuation Of $1,5O0,00O,O 900
(estimated by state tax commissioner
this levy will produce $2,S47 ,1S6. co.
This, however, does not tell the entire
story. The income tax, the, oil tax,
and the stock and bond tax, all new
and direct taxes, will produce this
year $1,O46,000, according to the state
tax commissioner. His estimate for
next year is about the same, 50 that
to the $2,47,1S6 general property levy
must be added these special direct
taxes, which makes burden of $3,-
S93 1876. In 1919, with no special di-
rect taxes, the levy was $3,676,O39,
or somewhat less than for the cur
rent year. The rate last year was
2.4125 mills.
"In 1913 the levy for state pur-
poses, without the direct taxes OF this
year, was $1,690,156, or 4.3 mills. In
1917 it was $1,657,612 or 4.3 mills, and
in 1916, the last levy made by the
Hanna administration, it was $1,417,-
9S4, or mills.
ROylanCe Sees Red
"My assertion which threw Prof.
Roylance into such a rage, was that
a levy based upon the pre-socialist
valuation, would have to be about y
mills to produce the revenue needed
at this time. Let me demonstrate
that this is true. Taking the levies
in dollars for last year and this
year, and the 1916 valuation as the
base, / find that to produce this years
revenue upon the 1916 valuation, a
levy of II mills would be necessary,
and taking this years levy in dollars,
it would have required 1914 mill levy
upon the 1916 valuation to produce it..
Here are the levies for the past four
years in mills based on the 1916 val
uation: 1920, II mills; 1919, 1914
mills; 1918, 4S mills, 1917, 40 mills:
1916, mills.
"Using the 1917 assessed valuation
as a base, to produce this years
revenue. 10 mills would have been
necessary, and to produce the 1913
assessed valuation, 9.4 mills would
have been necessary. Using the 1913
assessed valuation as base, to
produce the 1920 revenue, levy #
9.G mills would have been necessary,
to produce the 1919 valuation, 81
mills would have been necessary.
"Mr. Wallace and Prof. ROylance
may prate to their hearts content in
the socialist papers of the state, and
attempt to convey the impression that
low rate percent levy upon high
valuation, produces a low tax burden,
but they can't get away with it,