The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-01-01
What 1t Costs to Run the State and
Where the Money
Goes

The States share Of every dollar
collected in taxes by the County Treas
urers in each county in this state for
1919 will not be to exceed fifteen cents
on the average. (This is the esti-
mate of the Tax Commissioner based
on such figures as are at present
available.) This figure is a state
average. Some counties will be high
er and many lower. If the taxes
on your quarter Of land are $4,000
this year, of this amount only $3.50
will ever rearh the State Treasurer's
office and be used for state purposes
Of any nature whatsoever.
The increase in the state taxes for
1919 over the year 1918 is due largely
to the decreased purchasing power of
dollar. The State tax levy in 1915,
as fixed by the State Board of Equal
ization, was 81 ,655, 5,234.00, in 1918 the
state levy amounted to $1,688, ,355.46,
an increase of $33, 1914 It will
thus be seen that the state tax levy
stood practically still for period
of three years, due to the economical
administration of the state govern
ment and to suspension of building
operations at state institutions on ac-
count of the world war. Salaries Of
professors and instructors at the state
| educational institutions and employees
in other state institutions did not in
crease to correspond with the increas-
ed cost of living during this period.
/ This is also true of salaries OF all
the employees in the various state de-
partments. 1t became necessary dur
ing the past year for salaries to be
raised in order for the state to secure
the services Of competent help. In
| the state institutions and state de-
partments, the state must compete
in the labor market with the COM
mercial world, and at the present
time, many employees in state depart
ments are not receiving anything in
excess of living wage.
/ The largest single increase in the
state appropriations for the biennial
period, 1919 to 1921, is under the
Item Of Penal and Charitable lnsti-
tutions. This increase amounted to
I $974,847.
The levy required for the state in.
dustries for the state bond sinking
fund and for the state bond interest
fund equals total of 1856 cents OF
that dollar which you pay into the
county treasury and which is later
remitted to the State Treasurer. This
amount, you will note, is five cents
less than the amount taken from the
same dollar and set aside to create
the soldiers fund. North Dakota's
industries and bonded indebtedness
are not responsible for the general
increase in state taxes only to small
extent.
We herewith list under four main
headings, the divisions of dollar
and the portion Of that dollar set asid,
for the funds upon receipt Of the same
at the State Treaurer's office. Under
the item State Revenue, which we lat
er show by distribution, it is interest.
ing to note that for the sevepty-si,
cents that is set aside for State Rev.
enue, 47.945 cents is used for educa
tional purposes and the maintenance
of the state institutions.
An attached sheet also shows com
parison Of the appropriations .cf thu
1917 and of the 1919 Legislative AS
sembly for various purposes and {
comparison of North Dakota ant
Minnesota state taxes for the yea1
Levy for 1919.
General --..l227 :2!2 ss,458.eS2 1000 12o.ot
Sinking -----0.o4 60,950
Interest ----0.17 259,O4O