The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1920-05-21
SOCIALISTS HAVE
FOOLED FARMERS
OF NORTH DAKOTA
PROMISES ARE IGNORED BY
LEADERS. FARMERS PAYING
$50 TO 300 PER CENT HIGHER
TAXES OVER 1918.

Nhcn the NonpartlSan league was
first organized in North Dakota its
program and the promise of its So
ciaiist leaders were that the farmers
would be given an economical adj
minstration of the state govern
ment, and would pass laws that
would bring greater profit and ad
vantages to the farmers of the state
The league has been in active OPP
Grafton for nearly five years, and its
Socialist leaders have had control Of
the state administration of North
Dakota for three years.
But the promises have not been
fulfilled.
The people of North Dakota have
not received the benefit of single
law they would not have had or could
not have had under any other admin
istration.
None of the brilliant promises
of the Socialist leaders made four or
five years ago have been made good.
Instead of an economical administra-
ton of the state government. the
people find themselves struggling un-
der burden that is rapidly becom-
ing oppressive.
Farmers Faith Betrayed.
The Socialist industrial program
which was painted in such glowing
colors, is scarcely started, and al
ready it is proving so great load
that the taxes imposed upon the far
mers have assumed the character of
confscation. What they will be
when these Socialist promoters get
the entire machine in operation, if
they ever do, can only be imagined
from what has already taken place
The Socialist political machine
composed almost entirely of hundreds
of imported Socialists-has added so
heavily to the expenses of the gov
crnment Of North Dakota that the
taxes of 1919 have been increased
many fold.
When we go to pay our taxes is
when we really learn what our gov
eminent is costing us, individually.
in a direct way.
When we find that our taxes have
been increased from $50 to 300 per
cent, without any benefit in return
for the increase, we naturally begin
to -"Why?"
North Dakota farmers have found
their 1919 taxes have been boosted
$50 to 300 per cent over the 1918 as
sessment, notwithstanding the fact
that farm improvements are exempt
in 1919. Tt is little wonder they are
asking "Why?"
For instance, take two farms of ex-
actly the same kind of land lying
side by side except that river flows
between them. One farm is located
in North Dakota, the other in Min
ncsota, and only the Red River sep
arates them. The North Dakota
farm taxes are $50 per cent higher
than taxes on the Minnesota farm
land. "Why?"
This is a concrete example of
what the Socialist leaders of the Nom
partisan league have done for Tor to)
the farmers of North Dakota who
trusted them so implicitly.
A series of questions relating to
the taxes in various counties of North
Dakota was recently sent to a num-
Der Of county auditors in widely dis
tributcd sections Of the state and
from the answers to these questions
several interesting comparisons of
taxes have been made.
Here is the Truth in Figures.
Without going so much into detail
it is officially shown that in Ransom
county the total tax for state pur-
poses in 1918 was s27,412 while in
1919 the state tax is three times az
large, the figures being S86,438.
In Morton county the assessed val
uation of S1OS72.721 in 1918 was in
creased more than three times to
S35, S25,5o3 in 1919, and the total tax
for state purposes in 1918 was $40
1920, while in 1919 the total i,
0G,760.27 This comparison shows
that for each dollar the farmers OF
Morton county paid in state taxes ir
1918 they must pay 1928 in 1919.
The assessed valuation of all prop
erty in Towner county was multi
piled four times in 1919 over 1918.
the figures being for 1918 s6,6SO 80
for 1919, $26,215,115.
Similar illustrations could be made
through tEe entire fifty-two countio'
of North Dakota but these should b.
sufficient to be convincing. It is in.
tcresting, however to analyze the flo
urcs somewhat and in so doing Nc
find that the so-called government
for the farmer in North Dakota ha,
given the farmer the worst of it al
every turn.
Take the case of Pembina county
for instance. The figures show that
the assessed valuation increase is 35t
per cent. The increase in total ta>
for state purposes is DIG Dor cent