The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-06-11
TAXES IN NORTH DAKOTA
MORE THAN DOUBLED.
Every Farmer in the State Paid at
Least Twice as Much in 1919 as
He Did in 1918.
(By Jay Thomas)

III tlie SCdNc VI NoTin dakota nave
more than doubled under the Nonpar-
tisan League single tax system and
the greater part of the increase ha,
fallen on the farmers who voted
Townley into power. The records OF
the state of North Dakota and of the
various counties show that every far
mer in the state paid at least double
the amount of taxes in 1919 as he did
in 1918, exclusive of any special
taxes.
The total assessed valuation of all
property in North Dakota in 1918 for
purposes of general taxation was
$403, ,422,25S on which the state tax
was S1,7S2,612.41. In 1919 the as
sessed valuation was increased to ST.
523,764 ,i13 and the total general tax
was increased to 1850, 9,755.34, more
than double But the most significant
fact of all is found in the proportion
of this increase which was assessed
against farm lands. In 1918 the to-
tai tax levied against farm lands, for
general purposes only, was 1914
421.91 and in 1919 the farmers paid
S2,3S6,294, or nearly three times as
much as in 1918.
When the question of increased
taxes was brought up during the
special session of the legislature the
Nonpartisan League leaders under
took to throw some dust in the eyes of
the farmer and the general levy Of
the state was reduced SS64.000, but
the appropriations from the general
fund were only cut S142, 500, leaving
a deficit of 1921, 500 which it will be
necessary to include in the next levy.
The figures quoted above, however,
and the individual tax statements
which follow take this reduction into
consideration.
Prior to 1919 the year 1918 was the
highest tax year in the history of
North Dakota. hence the comparisons
are all made with the most Favorable
conditions possible to the Nonpartis-
an League.
Here are some statistics taken
from the records showing the taxes
paid by individual farmers. These
instances were selected at random
and reach into nearly every county in
North Dakota:
Theo. Kyllo, farmer, Cass county.
Raymond township, 1918 tax 1884
1919 tax s116.S9; Ole X. Hanson.
farmer,Cass county, y,191S tax S119.35.
1919 tax s315.44; s. H. Taylor, far
mer, Mayville, Trail county, 1913
tax, $3.50; 1919 tax $500; S. ]. Rat-
cliffe, farmer, Nelson county. 1918
tax S93, 1919 tax S199; Thos. Fegen-
skau. farmer, all of 23-144-9O. 1918
tax S254.44, 1919 tax S6277S; Ed-
ward Oster. farmer. northeast quar-
ter of 147-S5, 1918 tax S62. .26, 1910
tax. S123.71; Claus A. Johnson, far
mer, Fargo, 1918 tax SS0.69, 1919 tax
$243.54; Bergete Rust. farmer, Ray
mond township, Cass county. 1918 tax
S15.71, 1919 tax S36.36: Ben Benson
farmer, Cass county, 1918 tax S15.7t.
1919 tax s3636: Ben Benson. farm
or. Cass county, 1918 tax S64 .6S. 1910
tax $1642S; VIM. Clausen, SW4 Is
144-S6, 1918 tax $685., 1919 tax
S7604; Andrew L. johnson. farmer
Fargo, 1918 tax S4197, 1919 tax
s102.96; Mary f. Myers, Raymond
township, 1918 tax s45.2s, 1919 tan.
S137.27; I. X. Baker, farmer, Shar-
on, 1918 tax $500. 1919 tax S1.100:
Frank Helms, farmer, Barnes county.
1918 tax S57.1s, 1919 tax s220.46:
Bruce Scott, farmer, Dickey county
1918 tax 5000, 1919 tax S107.42:
Joseph P. Grange, farmer. Ransom
county. 1918 tax $3.50, 1919 tax
s122.S7; Sam Feltia, farmer, La
Moure county, 1918 tax 1896. 1919
tax s7O.97.
The enumeration of the individual
tax statements might be carried on
to include the entire farmer popula-
tion of the state of North Dakota.
without changing the average in
crease in the land tax. Just one fun
ther illustration on this point. Tread
we'll Twichell. of Mapleton, is probab-
ly the largest individual Taxpayer
among the farmers of North Dakota
In 1918 his taxes were $500 and in
1919 $500.
A great deal has been said by the
Nonpartisan League about hitting
big business and much publicity has
been made of the fact that the Stan
dard Oil company has been required
to pay tax of one cent a gallon on
all oil sold in North Dakota. Moor
head, Minnesota, is just across the
street from Fargo, North Dakota. At
the Standard Oil Co. gas stations in
Fargo. gasoline is sold at thirty and
( six-tenths cents a gallon; just across
the street in Moorhead Mimi. the