The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-07-17
(Official City. State and County
Newspaper
Foreign Representatives
SMALL, SPENCER g. LEVINGS
Uncorporated)
Formerly G. Logan Payne Co.
CHICAGO NEW YORK boston
Lip Service

One of the things which the voters
of the state and nation have always
to contend with is the difficulty OF
determining between real service and
lip service.
It is sad but true that they are not
always successful, for in some cases
the men who talk the smootheSt win
more enthusiastic approval tn n
those who honestly buckle down to
their Jobs and try to give real serv-
ice to the electorate whose favor they
have solicited.
Occasionally, however, a case Of lip
service is so apparent to everyone hat
one wonders how an astute politician
could have committed such a blum
der.
A perfect illustration is the letter
addressed recently by Governor
Shafer to the auditors of all North
Dakota counties asking them to sup
ply officials of every tax district i'm
mediately with data affecting their
tax levy. The idea was to assist them
in reducing local taXes-and to por-
tray the governor as the states most
ardent advocate of tax reduction.
1t is a subject for wonder as to
whether the governor thinks his ges-
ture had the desired effect. That 1t
did seems improbable to the unbiased
observer. In fact, it hardly even
seems to be good politics, which is ed
ditional cause for wonder, since the
governor has been credited with be-
ing a clever politician.
1t seems only reasonable to suppose
that the public will compare the gov
ernor's professed sentiments with his
record. 1t shows not a single action
looking toward reduction Of state
taxes which are-or should be-his
immediate official concern.
Instead of tax reduction, a con-
scientious investigation of the payroll
and an effort to correlate the work
of state offices SO they will cost less
money, the voter sees in the COVER
nor's record only the creation of new
commissions, the appointment of new
office holders, the parceling out of
new jobs.
At the legislative session Of 1927 L..
l.. Twichell, overload of the COVER
nor's political faction, admitted that
a certain state employe was on the
payroll for political purposes only.
The governor seeks tax reduction
but that appointee still is in office
and drawing a state salary. To be
sure, the governor has held out the
chimera of tax reduction to be
achieved in the future through the
workings of a governmental survey
commission. But that commission
now Is costing the people additional
sums in tax money-and state tax
reduction appears to be as far away
as ever.
Another angle to the governors ef-
fort to crash the front page as a tax
reducer appears impolitic. 1t is the
fact that his letter is at least an in
direct insult to the several thousand
officials Of the several thousand tax
ing districts in the state. One could
read into the letter an inference by
the governor tina. they are unfamiliar
with their duties and with the busi-
ness Of the school districts. town.
ships, counties, villages and cities
which they serve.
There is nothing to indicate that
they are less efficient in their jobs
than the governor is in his Job.
Some Of them may resent the gov
errors action in pointing to the mote
in their eyes while he ignores the
beam in his own. Such resentment
would be no more than human.