The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-12-09
TAX Relief
DISCUSSED
Tax Delinquency, Expense Con-
troll, State Road Tax, Are
Topics at Meeting.

Tax delinquency, expenditure control,
the assessment system, and the state
one-mill road tax were four themes
discussed by tax officials of ten counties
who met in an all-day session at Grand
Rapids, which was sponsored by the
Minnesota Taxpayers Association. H.
G. Dollhouse, president of the Itasca
County Taxpayers Association, presided.
The opening address was given by j. F.
Reed, president of the State Associa-
ton, and he outlined program of tax
reforms that had been discussed at
other district meetings.
Tax delinquency was declared to be
one of the pressing present-day prob
lens, especially in the northern part
of the state.
1T will not be possible to get the
people back on the land as long as we
are taxing them to DEATH" P. M. Larson
of Cass Lake declared. People will not
buy lands while they are assessed at
the present high rate. We must lower
them to a reasonable amount" Mr..
Larson stated
L. A. Rossman of Grand Rapids
pointed out that values have receded,
and tax scales must be looked at from
the same angle"
E. j. Luther of Grand Rapids stated
that lands are being assessed at SIS
per acre that can be purchased outright
for So an acre. I consider that the
adoption of the county assessor system
would be one of the biggest steps for
ward that Minnesota could make" he
said.
There are 100000 acres delinquent
that will revert to the state in 1888"
B. G. Finnegan of Grand Rapids
pointed out. ct would be grave in
justice not to allow the original owners,
in some manner, to redeem their prop
critics, so that these lands might again
be placed upon the tax rolls"
Speaking of expenditure control, F.
w. DeWeiss of Duluth said that, I'VE
must get back to the fundamental error
in our expenditure system. The answer
is that we are spending too much, and
we need an anchor to windward. We
must have assurance that too much
money will not be spent, and this is
the advantage of budgetary control and
review legislation"
Harry George, president of the Tax
Relief Association of Duluth, recon-
mended closer supervision of public ex-
penditures through expenditure control,
standardized accounting, budgeting for
all municipalities, and the right of re-
view by citizens in these municipalities,
where small number of taxpayers
shall have the privilege of appealing
any phase of expenditure in the COM
munity in which they are residents"
j. F. Reed pointed out that expendi-
ture control is now a live issue, and
asked all tax officials present to give
expression to their views pro and con
in this matter.
P. NJ Larson recommended thai only
freeholders be allowed to vote on bond
issues, so that renters, who outvote
them ten to one, cannot saddle burdens
unduly upon community in the belief
that they do not have to pay them.
L. A. Rossman thought that nile
local control" of delinquency should re
had, and that every effort should be
made to get this land back on the tax
rolls. "We must" he said, 'be pre-
pared for the next depression. Any
legislation which seeks to retire debt
and wisely lower taxation has my ap-
prevail" he said.
George Herried of Deer River asked
the meeting to go on record as favor
ing the repeal of the one-mill road tax,
but upon vote the motion lost by small
margin.
1t was voted, however, to recon-
mend the county assessor plan, and
this motion was adopted. A motion
was also adopted favoring expenditure
control of public expenditures.
G. E. Compton, superintendent of
schools of Lake County, gave it as his
opinion, after experience in that county,
that every county should function as
county unit in school matters, ex-
empting, however, cities and villages of
1000 population and more