Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-02-23
JUDGE ROBINSON SENDING OUT
INITIATIVE PETITIONS
Several of Them Have Merit; Some
Are Dangerous; and Some Are
Unimportant. Tax Laws Pro-
posed Would Mean An.
archy.

For some time Judge Robinson has
been threatening to start grist of in
ltiated laws Of his own. He has had
them printed, and is appealing for
voluntees to circulate them. They
are as follows:
1. To repeal the dog tax on law
yers.
2. To repeal the pool hall statutes
under which all taxes collected have
been squandered
3. To undo the motor vehicle tax.
under which nearly million a year
is collected and squandered.
4. To repeal the Tax Commission
statute, which has served no good
purpose only to increase the taxes.
S. To repeal the income tax, which
is unconstitutional.
6. To repeal the coal mining stat
ute, which adds nearly dollar a ton
to the price of coal.
z. To repeal the wage earners ac-
cidental insurance statute because the
rates are five times too high, and
because it drives people out of busi-
ness and out of the state.
8. To provide for just assessment
OF real property so that for a term
of years its net use or profit may ay-
erage five per cent on it's valuation.
8. To reduce by fifty per cent all
unpaid taxes of the past three years,
to cancel all penalties and costs and
all sales for the taxes of 1919 and
1920, except to good faith purchasers
10 permit the first half or first in
stallment of the tax of 1921 to be
paid at any time before the end of
September, with interest at one per
cent month from the first of March
and on such payment to cancel all
taxes for 1921. That is just means
Of liquidating the excessive taxes. ,
10 and II. To impose just pen.
atty on common carriers for demand
ing or receiving freight or passenger
rates in excess Of the rates now pro-
vided by law.
That is the sum and substance of
the eleven measures, which may BE-
read in eleven minutes. Who will
take hold and circulate them for sig
natures of legal voters?
A number of the proposed laws,
have greater or less degree of merit
others are unimportant. Two or three
of them are more than dangerous.
His tax laws for instance, if initiated
and carried at the next election, would
mean chaos iii our state, county, town
and school government. Briefly the
Judge proposes to repeal or refund
much of the taxes already levied in
past years. In other words, Win
chester school district, which levied
a certain amount each year to care
for necessary running eSpensos-M,d
which has warrants outstanding at
the present time--wou!d find much Of
the back tax due them cancelled. AL
though the bills have been contract
ed, the tax would be partially can
celled and the contracted debt allowed
to shift for itself. The same would
apply to the operation Of couAty af-
fairs, and state institutions. Roads
have been built and warrants issued
in. payment which will be paid by fu-
ture payments Of unpaid taxes. Cam
eel part of those taxes, and where de
we stand? Money has been appro-
nriated in past years to run our PEN
itentiary and other state institutions.
They are borrowing money while wait
ing for the rest of their tax money
to come in. Cancel the tax, and where
would they get the funds to take up
their Indebtedness?
It is right and proper to devise
means of cutting down our future
expenditures. It is foolish to try to
avoid r'ayment of debts already con-
tracted.
F. & y ~ ID " + q N A ID q
Robirsen's repeal of the motor ve-
hicle tax would also be most foolish
at this time, because arrangements
are being made to use these funds to;
put over our future road-building
plans, instead Of by the ordinary tax
appropriations. ,g
"A combination of Robinsons and
the present initiative may one day be-
the means Of getting this old state.
Of ours in such 2 rsess that we ca4
never get out.
In signing those petitions, our vet
ers will do well to weigh carefully
their actions.
L. u II