The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-06-10

THE FACTS ABOUT i.
THE 1919 TAXES
Keeping in mind that the Nonparti-
san League has had control of only
the state government during the per-
iod in which the tax increases so much
talked of have been made, and that
those responsible for the local taxes
are in most cases enemies of the Lea
que, let us see just what taxes have
been assessed in North Dakota for the
year 1919. According to the Abstract
Of the County Tax Lists in the State
Tax Commissioners office at Bis
marck, the taxes that are to be col
lected for all general purposes amount
to $28 19,804.50. This amount is dis
tributed as follows:
Amount Per cent
State taxes S 3,742,616.08 1872
County Taxes 1852 ,002.20 1872
Township taxes 1883, ,30S.21 1916
School Dist. taxes 11,215,219.25 1913
City & Village tax 2,324,6 ,658.76 8.2
In addition to the state taxes given
in the above table, the Tax Commits
sioner estimates that 1884, 900 will
be collected from the inheritence, COR
poration, income and other state taxes
This gives total of state taxes from
all sources of $5,O76,616.O8, and a to-
tai of all general taxes of $685.
804.5O.
Schools Get Bulk
Now, notice what these taxes are
for. First look at the above table.
You will see that the state property
tax is only little more than 13 per
cent of all general taxes, and you will
see that of the total of $29, ,553, ,804.50
over $11 100000 is for the support Of
schools. But this is not all that goes
to the schools. The state appropria-
tions for the support of educational
institutions for the two years, 1919
and 1920, amount to $2,904 ,744.99,
which is ALL per cent of all the ap-
preparations. Figuring that one half
of the appropriations for educational
purposes will be covered by the 1919
taxes, we get total of $12,667 ,591.74
for the schools of the State, out of
the total taxes of about twenty nine
and one half million dollars That is,
42.S per cent of all general taxes for
all purposes go to the support of the
schools.
Of the remainder of the local taxes
the levies for the construction and
of roads is the next big
gest item. The total for roads and
bridges is $5,l51,177. Now suppose
that some of the local officials of the
state did tag" advantage of the in
crease IN ta,> va,e for the purpose of
getting some more money for their
schools or for the improvement of the
roads. Even suprosing that some OF
these local officials raised the taxes
for the purpose Of getting
the League in bad with tax payers.
When we remember the absolute ne
cessity Of keeping our schools up to
stondard; when we remember that
the cost of all school buildings has
greatly increased; when we remember
that school teachers have to have ad-
vances in salaries in order to meet
the increased cost Of living; when we
remember that it is necessary to keep
up the roads in order that children
can get to school, that farmers can
get into town to transact their busi-
ness and that farm products can be
hauled to market; and when we re-
member that there is large federal
for roads, a part of
which comes to the State if it raises
an equal amount to be expended on
the roads-when we keep all these
things in mind we can afford to be
generous to those who have raised
local taxes, even though one of their
purposes might have been to put one
over on the League. Taking the taxes
as whole they are not excessive,
compared with the total wealth or
or considered with refer
ence to the purposes for which they
are collected.
State Taxes Justified
We may now return to the state
taxes, and find out just how the in
crease of 1T per cent over 1918 is
distributed. AS taxes are for the pur-
pose Of meeting appropriations, let
us look first at the appropriations.
The total increase in 1919 appropria-
tions over 1917 appropriations is 81
9OO,980. Now 81 per cent Of this or
$889,573, is for educational purposes.
Another $886,347, or 80 per cent Of
the total increase is for other state
institutions, chiefly penal and charit-
able. So that 81 per cent Of the to-
tai increase in appropriations goes to
4 u ~l- L. 4.