Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-04-03
FREAK MEASURES FALL FLAT.

The freak measures proposed by, Judge Robin
son Tor submission to the voters at the June primary
seem to have fallen very fiat. Only about half
enough signatures were secured to warrant their
to the voters, and the time for filing has
passed. Some of the measures were merely neddle-
some. Those providing for the cancellation of taxes
were vicious.
There is no surer way to destroy the credit of a
state than to create the impression that it is likely
to be tardy in meeting its financial obligations. or
that some OF these obligations may not be met at all.
L he enactment of laws cancelling certain unpaid
taxes would not affect the validity of the states OBJ
legations. 1t would diminish in some measure. tho
states revenues, and would thereby neccssitatc the
levying of additional taxes. to make the shortage
good. 1t would work an, injustice to those who have
paid their taxes by loading them with the burden of
taxes which other people have not paid. 1t would
not necessarily postpone the payment of any lawful
CLAIMS against the state. But it would throw
around the entire financial situation of North Da-
kota an atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty.
1t is possible for the state to pay it's debts only
BY the collection of the taxes which it levies.1 So
long as it gives evidenced a purpose to make these
collections IN the usual and expected way, and SO
long as its resources are known to be ample, its
creditors will feel secure, and will be willing to do
business with it on such terms as characterize bust
ness transactions conducted on a Sound basis. But
let the impression once gain ground that the states
obligations are III danger Of exceeding IFS resources,
or that It is following unbusiness-like methods in
the handling Of its collections, that moment its
credit is gone.
The state of North Dakota has lost large sums
OF money through the injury done to it's credit by
the. unwise methods of a former administration
But the loss which the state itself has sustained. in
this manner is trivial as compared with the hunnd-
reds Of subdivisions of the state and by it's citizens
as individuals. The bad fnanceering Of the past de-
preciated the markes value of the states securities
and increased the interest which it was required to
pay. It performed the safne bad service for every
county, township, school district and city in the
state. Each Of these subdivisions, in marketing its
securities, has been obliged to do so under the un-
favorable condition created BY the remissness &c
the state: Every individual has found his personal
credit similarly affected from the same cause.
The conditions have been remedied, at least n
part BY retiring an incompetent administrator
and inlstggiiiing one committed to a more business
like policy the people Of the state demonstrated
their sanity and innate conservatism Recovery IS
not yet complete but it has made good progress
Had Has enough people signed these tax law petitions:
a. make the question an issue at the coming cleo
6fion. new doubt would have been created, and
much Of the benefit that has been realized would
have y beer, lost; The people are fortunate that this
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