The Kadoka press. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1923-current, 1924-05-02
ASSESSORS GATHERED
FOR INSTRUCTIONS
Van Camp and Carlson came from
Pierre to give assessors informant
ion regarding their duties

hSScSSOlS lIOlll Htl DdilS ol tuc
county gathered last SATURDAY at
the courthouse with the county
auditor and the county commits
sioners to receive both supplies
and instructions to properly carry
out their duties as tax assessors
in their respective townships where
they had been chosen.
The matter of taxation Is a ser
ious and veXaciouS one. The state
therefore takes the trouble to do
all in it's power to see that they
are distributed fairly and justly.
TO achieve this, the state knows
that the man who makes the as
sessment is the most important
cog in the tax machinery. If he
makes an unjust assessment, over
values one, undertakes the other
and forgets or omits other taxable
property the burden is unfairly
distributed. Therefore the states
ablest men are sent out to give
the assessor such information that
he ma do his work wisely and
well. He receives instruction that
makes him understand the tax
laws and it's provisions more clear
ly.
This year Jackson County was
fortunate to have Messrs. w. N.
Van Camp, Commissioner of In
surance and Charles J. Carlson of
the State Tax Commission as in
structOrs.
Mr.. Carlson ably discussed road
taxation and plainly showed that
the hope of materially reducing
taxation lay in the state road build
ing program.
"A million more tax pavers are
needed in South Dakota" said the
speaker emphatically, and to get
them here we must build roads
for people used to travel by rail.
but now travel by automobile"
The speaker then showed how
North Dakota happened to have q
larger oopul alton. just because she
had provided for her benefit seve,a
transcontinenta railroads which
brought the people. South Dakota
has not this advantage. but now
his chance to bring in the wanted
and needed settlers by means Of
good roads.
The six million road money spent
by the state might appear high.
but in comparison with one iowa
count" which bonded eight million
it appeared very reasonable. Mr.
Carlson's talk was favored with
good common sense and went right
for the mark
Insurance Commissioner Van
CamD gave some mighty fine and
helpful advise to the assessors, in
their unenv;able task.
He a~reed that taxes were high
and irksome and then compared
tax levies of the Sunshine State
with those Of other states. He
rightly claimed that we were hard
up. but not rs bad off as manv of
our neighbors and other states.
Banks galore were forced to the
wall in other states and the life
time savings of many N0opIe were
lost because they ha 10 bank
guarantee of deposits laws. In
Kentucky the sheriff collects the
taxes at per cent. In manv other
states there is no state hail in
surance and people nay high Old
line rates or go without. Sone
others that do have state insurance
have laws so cumbersome that
rates are far above those of South
Dakota. Nebraska for example
paws S1.45 where the folks just
across the line in South Dakota
nav but 40 cents as is the case in
Jackson county. Thus the farmers
Of this state have been saved
thousands of dollars because of
wise laws justly and economically
enforced.
Bring the facts to the peonle
when YOU call on them" said Mr..
Van Camp forcefully.
He said proudly that the state
hail insurance department was not
busted" but had a safe sinking
fund to provide for nossible emer-
rcncies which could hardly be
foreseen. He then showed in de-
tail how the hail insurance was
administered. 1t was most inter
csting and highly instructive piece
of work which the commissioner
presented and space forbids full
details. He showed by charts and
figures how in this state only
thirty men had worked but part
time on this difficult nroblesn of
ADJUSTING hail losses. These thirty
men reported their every expense
their mileage covered and the loss
es taken care of each dav. Old line
companies figured on a S1a-l5
char~e for one adjustment. The
state cut this to S3.A2 rer claim
Each man averaged six claims
straiphtened out per day, which
he justly claimed as anothe,
achievement.
In conclusion he most earnestly
urged the assessors to make their
hail insurance assessments posit
i've and carefully. to get the exact
description of the land so that &
rossible claim might stand more
show of beino cared for viii
oou;ty As n laet anA narting wor,