The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-11-05
North Dakota Publishers Score
Program Of State Taxpay-
ers Association
FAVOR CROP MORTGAGES
Point Out That Legal Notice
Proposals Would Be Detri-
mental to State

mental to State
Minot, N. D., Nov. 5.-(P)-That thu
North Dakota Press association be.
lieves it would be to the best inter.
ests of the state to vote mo" on al
initiated measures on the ballot FOL
the November election, with the eX.
ception of one to permit mortgagine
Of crops, was the declaration here
Saturday in statement issued by w
H. Francis of Velva, president Of the
Press Association.
Francis statement follows:
The North Dakota Taxpayers as
ISOLATION had issued an l1th-hour
circular in support of the six measures
it is sponsoring in the general election
next Tuesday. The circular attacks
the North Dakota Press association
which has taken stand against the
wholesale initiation of laws that
should probably come before the state
legislature The statement Of the
Taxpayers Association has been issued
following the last issue of weekly
papers of the state before election
and therefore there is no opportun-
ity offered for defense. This is ty-
pical procedure of self-seeking indi-
viduals and organizations who have
an AK to grind.
Benefits Certain Groups
The North Dakota Press aSSocia-
ton had gone on record as favoring a
program of tax reduction with equal
consideration for all classes of taxpay-
ers. It is we'll known now that the
measure reducing the basis of asses
ment from IS per cent to so per cent,
sponsored by the North Dakota Tax
payers association and passed in the
primary election. has not worked out
in the manner in which it was intend
ed and instead of making a general
saving to all taxpayers it will work
out that only certain groups Of tax
payers will be benefited. 1t is reason
able to expect that number OF the
measures sponsored by this organi-
cation and which will be voted on In
the general election Tuesday perhaps
will work out the same way.
In the matter of at least two mea-
sures to be voted on the newspapers
of the state are particularly interest
ed. These have 70 do with lowering
of the legal rate for publication of
legal notices and the other doing away
with publication of the delinquent
real estate tax list.
1.-THE present cost of legal advertis-
ing in North Dakota is Is per cent
lower than the average for the Unit
ed States. The North Dakota taxpay-
ers group proposes to lower the North
Dakota rates until they are As per
cent below the average of other states.
In the light of the fact that the big
gest saving is cutting away source
of revenue to the state, it is question
able if this is a proper matter for the
North Dakota Taxpayers association
to consider.
80 Per Cent Outside
only 20 per cent of the money paid
for legal advertising in North Dakota
Is paid out of state or county funds.
The other 80 per cent comes from
private individuals and private cor
porations, many of which are outside
of the state. Is it fair to penalize the
publishers of North Dakota to the ex-
tent of 30 per cent on all Of their
legal business when 30 per cent of this
saving is for the good of the taxpay-
ers? Is it a good idea to lower the
revenue of large number of the
newspapers below the point Of break
ing even without effecting material
saving to the taxpayers of the state?
Is it good economy to take from the
publishers this 30 per cent that often
comes from outside Of the state and
which they will spend within the state.
There are 1872 papers in North Da-
kota. Only So of these are printing
public legals paid for by the taxpay-
ers. Is there any equity in penalizing
the 139 non-official newspapers run
ming private legal notices in order to
effect small saving for the taxpayers
on the business the state and counties
hand to the official newspapers?
Mr.. Lamb, president of the North
Dakota Taxpayers association is a
member of the Lamb organization
ficates in North Dakota. It will be de-
cidedly to the advantage of that Or
ganiza ton to have the delinquent tax
list posted instead of printed. It will
remove competition in the buying of
tax sale certificates, when the list no
longer is available to readers Of news
papers.
Is Cents For Posting
''The proposed initiated measure
1,o% I,, d1vi nv
shall be charged Is cents per descrip-
ton for posting expense. Is it fair to
the taxpayer to charge him such an
exorbitant price for the preparation
of few typewriter posting notices?
For an equal amount the list can
be given wide publicity for one week
through the newspapers, so that peo-
pie interested in titles may know
whether or not land is which they
have an equity is being included in
the annual tax sale. Under the pro-
posed posting regulations they will
never know and the interests of many
people will be jeopardized. The pub
lie is entitled to the information Of
fered by the tax list publication, and
it Is not q matter that comes within
the province Of tax reduction for the
delinquent taxpayer pays the cost Of
publication.
There must be an Interior motive
back Of this particular measure.
1T is significant fact that one Of
the so-called leaders Of the taxpAy-
ers' movement and one Of the lead
ing instigators Of the proposed mi
tiated laws is q representative Of the
Great Northern railway, one Of the
corporations that viii profit much
from the reduction .of valuations
from IS per cent to 50 per cent. while
the farmers and other taxpayers OF
North Dakota have to put up the
money that the railway company and
other utilities save, In order to keep
their schools open and Their. township
organisations functioning.
ANorth Dakota newspapers placed
themselves ct the disposal Of the
0tate Taxpayers association in an
advisory capacity, to assist them in
getting full data relative to the meas
ireg proposed as they affect the pub
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