Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1920-06-17
FORCED TO
BEAR BURDEN OF
INCREASED TAXES
Self Styled Friends Of the
Farmer Increase Take. on
Land and Lower Percent
.se Paid By Railroad. and
Others.

=
Tax Commission in a. statement is
sued by the publicity bureau at ths
Repu blican headquarters in Fargo,
gives clear and striking analysis OF
the distribution of the tax burden in
the state.
|. MIR. Steele shows that the politicsl
pangsters now in control of the
states affairs, while posing as par
ticular friends of the farmer and
acting as leaders of farmers or
ganization," have made the farmer
tn goat of the tax legislation passed
by the legislature.
Mr.. Steele states that the only de-
duction he can make from this is
that the Nonpartisan League believes
that the privileges enjoyed and the
ability to pay" Of the farmer Of
North Dakota, admits OF the in
creased taxswhich the leaders OF the
League have hsaddled upon the farm
err. The only fair way to consider
the relative burden Of taxation is to
consider it upon the 100 per cent
basis, or to, treat all taxes paid as
100 per cent. OF this 100 per cent
in 1917 before the Townley leader
ship became effective upon taxation
in North Dakota, farm lands bore
51.1 per cent of the total taxes. I'm
der the socialistic laws this ratio was
increased by the 1919 legislature to
7O.3 per cent of the total tax, and
the average assessed valuation per
acre, while at thassanle time the fol-
lowing classes Of property were re-
duced:
Railway property; from 17.9 per
cent to 1913 per cent.
'tftglelga4tapks from '.,is : per er' cent to
..09 per cent.
Telephones from AS per cent TO
81 per cent.
Express from 10 per cent to Is
perseent.
Personal property from 17.5 per
cent to. 7.8 per cent. .
improvements on farm lands from
3.4 per cent to nothing.
From this review of the shift OF
the tax burden it. is apparent that
the leaders Of the Nonpartisan
League in North Dakota felt that
under the previous Hanna admins
tration farm lands had not been as
sessed at its fair percentage of val
ue. while, railways, telegraphs, and.
telephones and personal properties
had been over assessed, for in the
one instant they raised the tax upon
the farm land ana decreased it upon
railroads and other public utilities.
According to their idea of placing
the tax burden in accordance with
privileges enjoyed and ability 10
pay" farm lands must bear great
er burden, and railroads and public
utilities a less burden than they bore
before they went into the manage
ment Of the State.
Where Is Money Going
Professor Roylance, the League
tAx expert from Utah, writing under
the non-de-plume as "F. w. Cathro'
ct. the expense Of the State, in the
Bank Of North Dakota bulletin,
states that the local tax for the new
State Industries chargeabie to: the
60 called League program is but for
y cents per quarter section Of land,
If this; is the total Increase IN. the
state taxes chargeable to the League.
program, we might ask. what in; the
name ofs goodness they are doing
With. the balance OF the money they
IRE collecting IN 1919 over and above
What, vas paid BY the people to put.
The millions OF dollars Increase ana
hat is mskius=itscharsabls to an. ex-
administrationy Including
10000 and meals. per .annumsi 4 Of
icials Which previous Is Townleyism
we're never heard of before In North
Dakota; andsyet the Professor from
Utah makes the statement that Gin
Ill probA Abilit,yv no other state goY-
ernment iss,being carried on more
economically than hat. ofs North Da-y|
kota. rhis .is i ono /: s:piacs, I, whore tie
savi9ss clause ..in Sall pro oobabilit
.: :sas necessary Sad d5unct to His state
mont. but the Prot 81 81 tatess that1
sddit tional taxssi paid large
NY parsons and sint teefests that mere
:i01lfore shayas escaped ftaxation. n.'' Does
.he Pro- tessor il rrefe.Ti rs the repeal of
money and Gre dits act which ~
.essed s110;0O0. 900 81 money and
,redits netting the state 100000.
per annum IN taxes upon property
which was. abund dainty able and Will,
hg to pay the low assessment pro-
q that Law. Or does he have - mind
;heSons cent nor GALLON on tax which
shsns levied hy m oNpnley.s leEisla-:
.ures resulted in / 81 s sTlse eiSey yof 81 ssqual