The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-01-23

4
as before, it will become necessary
! that all the boards get together and
thrash the matter out in committee
and in that case the most timid and
! most reserved will lose out. Will
! there be any justice in such tactics
! | say. No, and ! hope that our citi-
zons will be wise enough to not en-
such petitions, and let the tax situa-
ton be studied by commissions as is
the plan of Gov. Nestos. Such harsh
! and confusing measures as the one
! proposed By the Tax Payers Asso-
, citation will make 4 worse condition
/ out Of one which is already bad
, enough.
! According to Mr.. Gunderson's pro-
| posed measure, the idea seems to be
to consider the year 1914 us ideal,
as, that year has been set up as !,
! goal for taxing units to reach. Why
tshould We try to move the wheels
of time back ten years? Will a tax
law create prcwar conditions? How
absurd. Mr.. G.. says that taxes have
advanced lao percent since 1914, and
this can be accounted for very casi-
ly. Let us consi der the school dis
trict which draws the major portion
of the tax money. The Bureau Of
Statistics at Washington, d. G.. has
estimated that the purchasing power
Of Il dollar in 1924 is just about half
Of what it was in 1914, or in other
words, fifty cents would go as far
in 1914 rs one dollar will in 1924.
That item alone accounts for 100 per
cent rise in taxes. In North Dako-
Ia the high school enrolment has
doubled in the last ten years, the dis
trcts have longer terms, better dual
flied teachets, and better attendance
and that accounts for the other 40
percent Of increase over 1914.
Again Mr.. ,Gunderson makes use
of the figures for 1921 which was
the high peak in the running ex-
penseS Of taxing units in the state.
AS 4 matter' of fact, if he had com
pared the years 1921, 1922, and 1923
rs to running expenses of school dis
trcts, he would have found that, in
spite of the deprecated value of the
dollar, the running expenses have
gradually come down. In the district
in which Steele is located the tax on
certain quarter sections which was
from $50 to $50 in 1921 is less tl.an
one-third of that amount in 1928,
and | believe large number Of dis
tricts can show the same reduction.
This reduction has been possible
through lower levies, and changes in
assessments and rates of taxatior
Why not look upon taxes as a boon
and a blessing rather than ca, Sc,
especially, when it comes to Il con-
sideration Of local improvements and
community bettcrment? Surely,
most of the money which we pay TO
ourselves through local taxes IS a
good investment. La\. year in the
Steele public schools, the cost of
instruction per pupil enrolled was
about $50, and this means an outlay
by the district of Los per week, or
about cents per pupil per hour Of
instruction. IN this way the COM
munity purchased education foy the
children of the district, collectively.
at Il figure so low that if the parents
had tried to do t individually, it
would have cost them ten times as
much. We could apply the same
principle to road building and other
public enterprises, and in each case
we would find that it was a splendid |
investment.
Our public school is distinctly an
American institution, and any at
tempt to undermine it's efficiency is
surely un-American both in spirit
and in principle. Both the nation
ana the individual in II democracy
will stand or fall with the public
schools. In this state and other
states, we have laws compelling it's
citizens to send children to school,
us to build and maintain
adequate school houses, and hire
properly prepared teachers, and any
which will operate against
these principles of American govern
ment is un-American. In this coun-
~ there are number of schools
that have not sufficient funds to
maintain school for even seven
months this year; what will happen
N such cases if their revenue is cut
another 25 or 35 percent for next
year?
Instead of preparing measure
which is absolutely retroactive and
negative in its results, why did not
he Taxpayers Association prepare
me which would distribute the bur
len more correctly, and which would
Tot reduce the efficiency of neces-