The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-02-10
motion to kill the bill lost, AZ
O ga.
Bilrs ConstitutiOnality Questioned

BhES COnStltutlOnaIIty questioned
A house bill to place the assess
ment of power line companies in the
hands Of the state commissioner was
held up when it's constitutionality
was questioned. NJ. H. Kelly, Logan
county, chairman of the tax COM
mittee, explained that the majority
of his committee recommended de-
feat of the bill because he had been
advised by Attorney General Shafer
that it would be unconstitutional.
A minority report recommended
passage. Swendseid defended the
constitutionality of the bill and &C.
ton was postponed until a written
opinion is received from the attorney
general. Advocates of the bill con-
tended that inefficiency of local tax.
ing officials has resulted in So OF
$50 villages failing to tax power lines
operating within cities and villages
The figures were taken from Z
survey made by the state tax com.
missioner, Swendseid said.
A majority report recommending
defeat of the bill to provide for coun.
ty assessors to replace township as
SCISSORS was adopted after a bricl
struggle. The proposal would have
supplanted the township assessor.
with one assessor in each county tt
be appointed by the tax commissioner
from three names submitted to hin
by county commissioners.
C.SN. Lee, Dunn county, said thai
assessment is the foundation of thu
state taxing system. Many assessor.
are incompetent, he said, whereas tn,
county assessors would be expert!
at their work.
Present System Landed
D. L. Peters, Pierce county, sale
the present system permits mer
who know local conditions to asses.
and equalize taxes and that oppor
tunity is offered through the town
ship board, county commissioners.
and state equalization board to cor
rect errors and injustices.
William Watt, Cass county, sale
the state has got along we'll for Al
years under the present system ant
objected to changing it.
Swendseid quoted statistics com
piled by the present and past ia,
commissioners, all Of whom, he said
favored the proposal.
c. F. Stretch, Bottineau county
said the same proposition has bee,
up at each session for the last /.
years and that he would oppose i
as always.
The Little Missouri bridge bill
resulted in passage of the bill which
would permit money from the stat,
bridge fund to be used in construct
ing bridge over the Little Missouri
river in Mckenzie county. The pres
ent law restricts use Of the money t,
construction of bridges over bound
airy lines or navigable streams.
j. McGauvran, Cavalier county
chairman of the house bridge com
mittee, contended that the place t.
get the money for the bridge wa
from the state highway department
which, he said, has ample funds
Watt objected to letting down tn
bars for all counties to come in an,
| attempt to get money from the fund
which he said all would do after tn
precedent had been established. j
A. Jardinc, Cass county, urged tn
same objection.
Not Opposed to Bridge Itself
Twichcll voted for the bill but ex
planned that he, too, thought tn
money should be advanced by tn
| highway commission. The highwa
department, he said, had instructe
the Mckenzie county delegation t
come to the legislature for tn
money.
r. o. Signalness, Mckenzie coun
ty, said the bridge will enable PEG
pie living in II townships to &c
their products to market. The pres
ent ferry operates only part 0
the time and fording is made hazard
Gus by quicksand, he said! Opponent
of the measure said they were no
! denying the need for the bridge bu
contcnded the highway department
should furnish the money from it
funds