The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-03-25
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TAMBLYN BROS, Publishers.
TAXING THE RAINBOW

North Dakota, home of the Nonpar-
tjsan League, is a white-hot center Of
Interest Just now. because the first
payday has arrived. Those who hired
Townley to paint a rainbow over the
state are sharing the general expense
Of digging for gold at it's end. The
trouble is caused by the big increases
in taxes, declares John f.. Pickett,
writing in The Country Gentleman OF
March Goth
The tax storm has been gathering
since the League controlled Legislature
a year ago launched a program Of
state ownership which included bond
issues running into the millions. to-
eether with numerous appropriations
for new governmental enterprises.
All this, Of course. meant higher
taxes, and when the new assessments
began to come in, the grumblings
grew to rumblings. Fifteen OF the
f%fty-three counties OF the state had
their valuations pried up more than
200 per cent. For the entire state the
League administration biked values
from $40O, O41, 152 to $1,523, 746,929.
Justice Robinson, of the Supreme
Court, known as a League judge. made
a vigorous protest. Eventually the
legislature repealed twenty-five per
cent of the state tax, but even with
this reduction the tax will be more
than twice what it was last year AS
to hail insurance, the Fargo Forum
asserts that a large number of farm
ers have been unable to cash warrants
issued to them by the state to cover
losses sustained from hail.
In answer to numerous denuncia-
tons of the increase in the cost OF
state government as reflected in high
er taxes. the League retorts that in
Minnesota and Wisconsin taxes have
been increaed even more. Mr.. Pickett
remarks that the latter are rich states
In 1918 farm property in North Da-
kota paid 66.04 per cent of the taxes
of the state; in 1919, uner single tax,
II pays 74.264 per cent. And the rail
roads of the state, part of the hated
Big Biz, get of with a decreased pre-
centage of the taxes.
eff the North Dakota experiment,
does nothing more than warn farmers
Of all states against single tax, it will
have accomplished a useful purpose.
declares Mr.. Pickett. THE farmers
of various states have sensed and sur
missed this sort of a result, but the
North Dakota experiment proves it."
He does not believe the charge that
League leaders are lining their poe
kets with farmers money. A large
number, however, are of record as
Socialists; one admitted that he was
an Internationalist; some at least
have been closely associated with the
7. w w They lack experience in the
practical handling of business or in
dustry; they were slow on the trigger
when patriotism was the first duty of
all god citizens; they have added to
the state circulating library books
touching on free love. bolshevism and
ether ultra-radical themes.
As To the Leagues ambition to gain
control of other states, Mr.. Pickett
considers it quite possible that 1t will
capture Minnesota this fall.
Buy w. s. S.
The great South Dakota primary.
which was watched with such great
interest over the United States, is
over We can now await the action
of the Republican convention at Chi
cago next June. and IL Weed. Lawen
johnson, or any other man of equal
calibre is nominated, Wen support
him. i
Buy w. s. S.
Maxine Jane, the five year old daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs, Wayne Kerr, of
st. Lawrence, died Friday at her home.
The child had been i'll for some time
with pneumonia. Burial was made in
the Odd Fellows cemetery at st Law
renee. the Rev. Nuendorff officiating.
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