The Bismarck tribune., 1933-01-18

to force gravel upon the market in
excess Of the demand, resulting In de-
preciated prices and waste. Likewise,
coal land should pay tax only when
coal is mined and sold and the same
as to oil, gas, lime. etc.
The lawyers, doctors and like pro-
fessional men may now be taxed on
few hundred dollars worth Of Of.
flee furniture while they sell their
services for thousands Of dollars .
year and the farmer few hundred
collars worth Of produce year. The
lawyers, doctors and like professional
men have received the cash and can
pay the tax while the farmer has not
received the cash and cannot pay.
Is this fair? wish to avoid person.
alities. but may I say that I know .
ran who has an annual income from
his personal services Of around 5000
year and he is not assessed even
for desk or chair and he Is not q
liquor runner either, but Is engaged
lawfully.
What objections can there be to
state sales tax? It Is argued possibly
that such tax would operate against
our local merchants who compete IN
price with mail order merchants and
state border merchants. But We OBJ
serve that the exorbitant gasoline
sales tax was imposed without any
such results. No gasoline merchant has
been put out Of business so far as we
are able to learn on account OF sales
tax. It may be argued that the gas
oiine tax has now become general
throughout the states and this we
admit but We reply that 1t Is by no
means uniform as the tax Is as low
as two cents per gallon in some states
and as high as seven cents per gallon
in others. We may suggest also that
we have q real cigaret tax already
and can it be truthfully said that this
tax has put any cigaret merchants
out Of business? We believe manu-
facturers generally equalize prices to
meet the situation. With q state
sales tax Of $40 on an automobile sold
In Fargo and no tax In Moorhead, the
manufacturer, in order to maintain
agencies In North Dakota and market
cars In North Dakota, would probably
have to absorb such tax, otherwise
he would not be able to market his
! products here. The sales tax may
become general throughout the states,
50 the Moorhead dealer will be sub
)ect to tax also. We found that while
driving through the oil fields CT OK.
lahoma, Texas and Louisiana, We paid
for our gasoline substantially the
same price as we pay in North Da-
kota. There Is much evidence that
tax and freight may be equalizsd 50
! the local dealer Is not required to
bear the burden.
With Q sales tax In force; II not
! all land. surely all homesteads should
+; he exempt from taxation. BY exemp-
ting l6O-acre farm home and the town
residence from taxation would We not
find q general rush Of home inves-
tiers taking advantage Of an invest
ment in tax free property and what
tends to add to q community more
than home owners, instead Of rent
ers. Picture q country with substan-
TALLY every family owning their own
home and devoting their spare time
aud spare cash In beautifying It and
imagine the more universal interest
which would be shown In public In
stitutions. What would do more good
toward making good citizens?
There is much talk Of old age PEN
sions. Why take away from the old
and tnfirm that homestead. for which
they have labored and saved and
which they call their own, for taxes
and then give them an old age PEN
sion? What better old age pension
could be devised than . tax exempt
home and furnishings? Why taxi
homes away from unfortunates and
then give It back to them In the form
Of poor relief?
Anyway we have to have money K
carry on our government and until
the time comes when We can gel
blood out Of . turuip It u useless e
try to get taxes out Of our farmers
who have no market for their pro.
duce.
Very truly.
w. z. HOOPE5.