The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1932-12-01

Of st. Paul; L. M. Carlson Of
Anoka, H. T. r. Kraus Of Carver
County; and ]. F. Reed, president
of the Minnesota Taxpayers. As
ISOLATION.
We may place the progress Of
tax reform into four divisions, said
Herbert Miller of Hennepin
County. First, more business eff
ficiency in government; second,
change the tax base. This phase.
however, must be planned to avoid
tax delinquency; third, reduction
of taxes by economy; fourth, the
last plan, but one that actually
does the business: limit the
amount Of money that public of
ficials can spend. Indiana has such
a plan. These four plans involve
also four phases: % comparable
record of all receipts and disburse-
ments; (2) the budget system; e;
review of expenditures; az expen-
diture regulation.
John Burke said that expendi-
ture control has saved Indiana
$100, 100000 in ten years time.
Such a system to regulate expen-
ditures was adopted there in 1919
and it is a well-establshed feature
Of that state.
In the matter of bond issues,
said ]. J. Stumvoll of Sherburne
County, it is always apparent that
the renters outvote freeholders,
and are responsible for expenses
they do not have to pay. It is my
opinion that only freeholders
should vote on bond issues. It is not
my wish to withhold a man from
his general vote, but simply in the
matter of bond issues, only prop
erty owners should vote. Several
other states have such a provision,
he said.
John A. Fischer of Wright
County also urged an expenditure
control set-up.
L. M. Carlson of Anoka suggest
ed provision that would make it
Impossible for contractors to over
run their estimates, as they do
now. believe law which fix sal
aries of officials for local conn.,
munities to pay, should be repeal
ed.
w. J. Dwyer of Sherburne Coun-
ty discussed tax delinquency, and
H. T. r. Kraus of Carver County
thought it desirable to make is
suing of warrants beyond levies
and money available, a violation Of
law.
Speaking of the present assess
ment system, J. r. Reed president
of the State Association said: We
have $1,000 assessors in each dis
trict. In primitive times, this may
have been all right, but not today.
Assessors hold an important office.
One man places all the valuations.
Inequalities in assessment are ap-
parent everywhere. There exists a
wide diversity Of assessment in
land. Many improper assessments
are made, and every one is an in
jury to every other taxpayer. Thir-
ty states now have the county asses
sor system, and not one has gone
back to the old system. I have in
mind a farm in Lac qui Parle
County of $50 acres with no fencing,
shelter or improvements. Across
the road is highly improved
farm. Yet the assessed value on
the two places is the same. This is
plain discrimination. We believe a
better system can be made.
John F. Scott said that all the
taxpayers associations in the state
payers associations in the state
ought to promote plan of expendi-
ture control of public money to
check spending.
Charles Lucius of Dokota County
urged repeal of the state one-mill
road and bridge levy and asked the
ten counties represented to go on
record as favoring it's repeal. This
suggestion was adopted in the re-
solutions of the county members
present.
J. P. Mcdonnell, of Wright
County, pointed out that a major
ity of counties in the state had
placed great dependence on this
road levy, and have made deep
slashes in their county levies with
the expection of using this ste
money to take the place of local
road levies. He suggested that the
gas tax law might be amended to
provide replacement of the state
road levy, and the amount thereby
received be then allocated back to
the counties in the same manner
as the Dunn Law, thereby saving
this 100000 state levy and still
give the same aid to the counties.
It would be real tax reduction,
while it would still make it Dos
sible for the counties to keep their
local road levies down to the
minimum, he said.
w. ]. Dwyer thought, too that if
the state levy is repealed, there
should be substitute aid to take
care of state-aid roads.
The meeting passed resolutions
asking the cooperation of the State
Association in recommending a
plan for: expenditure control: a
change in the system of assessing:
and repeal of the state one-mill
levy.