The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-03-02

against a stone wall. Judge Cooley,
in dismissing the jury at an early
hour this morning, complimented
them on the manner in which they
had handled the case and told them
that their verdict was proper and
just one.
The group of proposed laws which
Judge Robinson is initiating are caus-
ing a great deal of press comment in
the state at the present time. Many
people call them foolish and imprac-
teal while others tend to commend
the Judge for the stand he is taking.
These laws cover repeats of the IL
censing bill for lawyers the poolhall
statutes, the motor vehicle tax, the
! tax commission statutes, the income
tax, the coal mining statute, and the
wage earners insurance statutes and
to provide for a just assessment of
| real property, to provide just pen
atty on common carriers for demand
ing or receiving freight or passen-
ger rates in excess of the rates now
provided by law and to provide for
the reduction by so percent of all
taxes levied during the past three
years that still remain unpaid. We
cannot agree with the Judge in his
contention that the unpaid taxes
should be reduced altho we do agree
that drastic measures should be TAX
en- to reduce future levies for spe-
cific purpose. That purpose was des-
| ignated by legislation creating the va
rious departments and commissions
designed to carry out the will of the
administration and these departments
and commissions have been formed
and in operation for some time. The
money which they should use in the
operation of their department was
levied for that purpose and has been
spent by the department, even though
it has not as yet been paid in full by
the property owners. TO reduce the
amount of the taxes remaining un-
paid would place the state finances
in a precarious condition in addition
to establishing a dangerous precedent.
To look at the matter from the indi-
vidual standpoint, the property own
err would find no incentive to pay his
taxes, if by leaving them unpaid,
there was the possibility of having
the amount reduced. In other words,
if unpaid taxes were reduced the
property owners who had paid their
taxes promptly would be penalized
the amount of the reduction for their
promptness. This would be decided
| ly unfair and is not worthy of serious
consideration, even though the pas
sage of such law would not jeopar-
die the credit of the state, and it
| most certainly would. Relative to the
other proposed laws, these contain
some suggestions which should be
acted upon. Why should lawyers be
required to pay a tax for the prlvl-
lege of practicing in the state? Or,
if they should be taxed, why not ex-
tend the law to other activities and
require the payment of tax by any
one engaged in the occupation OF
teaching? That would be just as log
ical and would no doubt yield more
revenue. The statutes governing
poolhalls were designed for the I'M
piled purpose Of regulating this class
of enterprise but the department, IN
it's operation, seems to be merely for
the purpose of supplying political
heelers with easy jobs and supplying
fund for their retention on the pay
roll of the state. The proper func-
tons of the department could be as
well handled by one of the other de-
partments Of the state, and at
greatly reduced cost. The funds COL
!
nent would not be begrudged 1t the
money was expended on the roads IN
a bus .res5 like manner but the tax
PAYERS car sec little improvement IN
the ,oal.3 from this source. The tax
paye.; c:sN see little good in the work
of tire tax commission and can see
no re son Why this department could
not b. abolished. The Income tax
Yields buy littlc revenue, above the
cost of operation, and could easily be
abolished without serious injury to
the state. The coal mining statutes
have succeeded in raising the price OF
Ignite coal about $1.00 per ton
Therein lies their value but they do
not appeal to the property owner who
buys COAL The wage earners lnsur-
ance, or workmen's compensation bu-
reau, has succeeded in accumulatlng
| = 1...-. ,,,xx,1,,- hx, Tho opn1icatIOn of