The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-05
PLAN IS URGED
TO CUT TAXES
IN NO. DAKOTA
F. w. Pusch, Tax Specialist
For Northern Pacific, Makes
Address at Mandan
KEEPINFORMED, HESAYS

Mandan, Mar. D.. A plan for re-
ducing taxes in North Dakota was
presented to the Mandan Kiwanis
Club yesterday by f. w. Pusch, tax
specialist of the Northern Pacific
Railway.
Economy in government must be-
gin at home he declared. Somehow
the idea is prevalent that most OF
the waste and extravaganza in gov
ernmental affairs is at the state and
national capitals. Extravaganza does
exist TIRE, Of course, but big part
of the tax burden is created right ut
home in the local taxing districts of
North Dakota. In 1928, 1894 cents
of every tax dollar collected in this
state was expended locally, so it is
apparent that local economy is ne
cessary if taxes are to be appreciably
reduced.
computations covering North Da-
kota 1923 taxes show that out of the
average tax dollar in North Dakota,
1876 cents is used for state pur-
poses, 22.lG cents for county pur-
poses, SIT cents for township pur-
poses, SAG cents for city and village
purposes, and i7.S2 cents for sch DOL
purposes.
Where taxes are the most burden
some, state expenditures are proper
tionately least responsible for the
condition. Let US see how this works
out in the case of Mandan for the
year 1923. Out of every dollar paid
by taxpayers Of Mandan for 1928, on
" - cents went TO the state, as
against the 1886 cent average for
the state. County purposes require
2l.26 cents as against the average OF
22.lS cents: city purposes required
1927 cents as against the SAG cent
average, and school purposes required
1851 cents as against the 47.S2 cent
average"
How Taxes Have Increased
Taxes for city purposes in Man
dan have increased 131 per cent since
1918, and school district taxes have
increased 1872 per cent, so that the
combined tax for city and schoo
purposes is approximately 2.3 time:
as much as it was five years ago
County taxes have increased 44.5 pei
cent during this time. The 1872;
school taxes in Mandan school dis
trict amounted to $sS.62 per pupil
and the Northern sPacific Railwa,
/. paid S7.S4 of this amount for eaci
i, pupil, not counting the tuition tax
paid to the county, several dollars o
I, which, per pupil, Is apportioned t
4 the district on a per capita basis
8 THE tax paid by the railway com
/, pany in 1923 for Mandan city pur
& poses was $5,337.26, and for schoo
+, district purposes $6,227.4S, not count
q ing the county tuition tax In Sim
!, school district No. 8, the railway com
t pany paid $13,l47.70 taxes for 1872;
a In Morton county the Northern Peel
Il fic pays school taxes amounting t
t S197.73 per day, and the total of take
s paid in the county averaged $5l3.6
S per day for 1923.
= Economy Necessary n.NOrth DakOt
while we are all agreed that W
: would gladly have, if we could pa
: for them as we 60, paved roads, cen
: crete bridges, school gymnasiL ms
+" swimming pools, and many other mo
/. dern cOnvenienceS-'fr and fame
: les my grandparents call them-w
:. are up against condition and no
theory, so far as economy in pr
vate and public affairs is concerned
Takes in the past few years hov
!: reached state where it has bee
n impossible for a large number o
= North Dakota residents to pay ther
5 at all. This is evidenced by the fac
r that in some of the western countie
a barely one-half of the taxes extend
4 ed on the tax rolls are actually col
!, lected.,
I. Actual expenditures, however
r. have not only exceeded collection!
:, but frequently exceeded the total lev
h led. AS to such excess over tn
= amount levied, warrants were Q
Is course illegal, and the cash basi
q law passed by the legislature las
81 winter aimed to remedy this cond
q ton. To illustrate to what exces
It this promiscuous issuance of wal
ie rants had gone beyond the legal lev
ii and even debt, limits, l can tell yo
VI of a school district west of the Mi.
IL souri, River which found it necessar
ii under the emergency provision in tn
II cash basis law to make levy th
il year Of almost 10 mills to take u
warrants over and above the del
= limit; this in addition to the fundin
" bonds issued by the district to tai
up the balance of such warrant
Even this levy of approximately
u mills does not clean up all of the:
warrants, but a similar levy wi
have to be made for several years
followss A township whose ordinsl
q requirements mainly for maintenan
y Of lateral roads was $4,000 per yea
. had, as of July l., 1928, over STA
& of outstanding registered warrants
= Urged Taxpayers TO Show an Intere
IF more taxpayers would Ike,
z themselves Informed as to the pr
ceedings of their local taxing board
and would attend and take part
= the deliberations at the annual NEE
\ ings of township, school, city, al
y county boards, at which the tax blu
~ get is determined, stable portion
\ the 81 cents of the average doll
y paid in taxes could be eliminate
g Ny acquaintance with members
= taxing boards leads me to belle
y that many of them at least YOU
welcome sucL yell meant suggestio
= and constructive criticism.
1--WE are all in the same boat, ra
d road, manufacturer, merchant, N
4 chaIlic and farmer. We are for