The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-12-23
CUT DOWN TAX BURDEN,
URGES JUDGE ROBINSON
In Saturday Evening Letter Appeals
for Reorganization Of
Utilities

ton of the state utilities-these ar,
the questions to- come before thu
House. The people must be relieved
from excessive taxation or the cause
of reform is lost. Since 1918 the as
sessment Of property for taxation has
been increased threefold. The first
thing to do is to pass an act reduc-
ing the valuation fifty per cent anc
to cancel all state and local tax levies
except such as may be laid on fifty
per cent valuation. On the present
valuation the lands do not pay two
per cent year after deducting all ex.
penses and reasonable compensation
for the wear and tear Of the farming
outfit, loss of soil fertility, fair COM
pensation to the tiller Of the soil, his
wife and family
Little Left
After paying all such expenses and
taxes the farm should yield six per
cent on it's valuation, just the same
! as the railroads. The six per cent
guarantee should extend alike to all
classes of industry, to the meat pack
ers, the bankers, the lumber dealers
and to all others.
True, the big packers claim that
they make only two per cent on their
turnover business, but their turnover
may average once a month, and two
per cent month is twenty-four per
cent year, while, the farmer, the
main producer of our wealth, has only
one yearly turnover: His harvest
comes but once year. But is it true
that the packer nets only two per cent
on the price he pays for a pig or
fat steer?
Story of the Hogs
| have grown and taken to the
stockyards of South St. Paul carloads
of pigs-''real beauts"-of good uni,
form size, each weighing two hundred
fifty pounds, and have cared for them
so that on the way each pig gained
several pounds and arrived in SPLEEN
did condition and at once commenced
eating and drinking with good pig
relish. sold them to Armour Com
pany at seven cents a pound. There
was nothing else to do. Of course, l
paid freight, commission, yardage,
feed and other expenses. Then in a
few days. the pigs were turned into
finished product and sold at three
times seven cents a pound. Now l
hazard the opinion that on every pig
Armour II made one hundred per cent
or net profit equal the price of the
pig. SO it has come to pass that in
three score years the accumulations
of Armour l and Armour II amount
to round billion dollars, sum equal
the value of all the lands in North
Dakota
Nen of Genius
True the Armours have been men
OF genius and great business capac-
iry and they are not to blame for tax |
ing advantage Of opportunities; but |
the people of the prairie states are to
blame for permitting few packers
20 monopolize the vast packing BUSH
ness and to buy at their own figures
any competition.
Thirty years ago the people of
North Dakota and of South Dakota
might we'll have framed their consti-
buttons and laws to build up home
industries and to put limit to exploi-
:ation. Under proper laws every state
should have in successful operation
! good packing plant, several banks,
Hour mills, wooden mills, motor We
1icle and farm implement factories.
The state and each city and county
should be self-supporting corpora
ion, and not big nursing. A Robin
Hood or a feudal baron levying tribute
On the people.
Cut Out Politics
But, as they say, it is better late.
han never. North Dakota has now the
proper constitutional amendments
which are established beyond ques-
ion by the decisions of the State and
also the Federal Supreme Court. The
next step is to enact the proper laws
or, as shown in my last letter, pub
&c industry can never be a success
While it may be as a political factor.
TO make it success there must be a
lnion Of public and private capital, a H
corporation organized under proper
statute similar to the Federal Reserve
act, and responsible directors who nut
heir own good money into the BUSH
less. In New Zealand corporations
With united public and private capital
md control have proven a. grand sue
:ess. Under exclusive public control
here is no efficiency or economy.
There is commonly waste, graft and
the same as in the gov
control of railroads, tele-l
graphs, telephones and in the war
contracts. What could be more scan
lalous?
FRAZIER TO ADVISE
~ rnAR i