The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-06-05
PEOPLE ARE
RESPONSIBLE
FOR HIGH TAX
In Part Responsible For Care
less Manner of Voting Bond
Issues, Baker Says
EVERYONE MUST PAY

Bottincau, \. d., June IA con- |
| siderable part of the high cost OF |
| government can be laid directly at |
| the door of the taxpayer Lyman
| A. Baker, deputy state tax comm's-
| sioncr, told Il county taxpayers
! meeting here yesterday. "The peo-
pie are directly responsible for high
taxes in many districts where bohd
issues for public improvements
which were not Immediately neces-
Sary, were authorized by the elect
ors."
Mr.. Baker spoke Of this phase OF
the tax situation, after discussing
many other causes for increased tax
cs. Continuing he said:
Everyone pays taxes either IN
rectly or indirectly. Ordinarily the
property taxpayer is considered as
the only taxpayer, but the indirect
taxpaycr, who, thinking he does not
pay taxes, has usually been eager TO
vote for increases in taxes OH prop
erty and to vote for bond issues Tor
public improvements and for the ex-
mansion of public activities, is not
escaping by any means. The man
ufacturcr, jobber, and retailer pass
on their taxes to the ultimate con-
sumner. The landlord passes on his
tax in the rent which he charges.
/, If they did not do so they would
:. soon be bankrupt. The indirect
I taxpayer is one of the causes Tor
higher Axes, because he is lndiffer-
ent as to how high taxes 20 for the
reason that he has the erroneous
idea that they do not affect him.
1--WE have an example OF the re-
suit of this Indifference in one OF
! the towns located in the southwest
l ern part Of the state, where the in
J direct taxpayers who controlled the
government Of the city, saddled ar
enormous debt upon the property
! owners of the city, and the conse
l. aucnce is that the real estate in the
city is now practically valueless.
"Inefficiency Of public officials
and employees and poor management
o. by governing boards have contri
w buted largely to increased taxes II
I'd some places, although in my opin
ch ion, this is not true generally.
re "Forms of local government whlcl
he have not kept pace with the econ
d, omic growth Of the people are an
d. other responsible cause. In othe
MS words, we. do not have centrallze
al business administration in GU
is government, neither in state no
of local government. State Official
consider themselves responsible onl
M to the people. They are not directl
b. responsible to the head of the stat
im government. The same thing is trr
nd of county government and local go'
for eminent. The board of county con
of missioners is supposed to be tt
is governing head of the county, but
ed. n large extent county officials al
cd independent of such governing boar
net Every state official and state boar
the and every county official, is pra
A. tically independent. One departing
I. has no interest in the conduct
as any other department of COVER
ment. There may be an overload
or work in one office during certa
rry period of the year and, at the san
lin. time, Il general slackening of wo
An in another; but there is no mte
change of employees. The laws, u
der which public business is co
ing Quoted make efficiency practical
impossible"