The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-23
tate FINANCIAL
Status REVIEWED
IN talk BY DALE
Larger Claims Of Economy Die.
proved BY Figures Says
III ss#
State Treasurer

A0tsO4l W0A0 1NSOe1lUS0 III IN &o0SoSl
Friday night By State Treasurer Al.
fred 8. Dale over KFYR.
The speech, outlining tho financia,
record Of the last year and . half
follows in full:
I'VE are In the midst Of . political
campaign. I want to ask ana ansve,
q few questions. As state treasurer
I can give you the official figures.
"Q-The LANCER forces claim there
has been . cut Of $500, 900 In state
expenditures. Do the official figures
support that claim7
"A-The total payments from all
funds for 1882 under the shafer ad-
ministration were I'll, 7e9, 6l8.l4: the
total payments under the LANCER ad-
ministration were l8,272, 674.26. This
leaves an actual decrease Of only 35l6..
973.08 instead Of five and half mil
lion dollars.
1.-THE decrease In payments from al
funds, then, for the first year Of the
LANCER administration, was approxi-
1nately $4,000 instead Of $500, 900
"Q.-The state treasurer u on the
board Of equalization. Is it true that
the board Of equalization levied only
half as much taxes for 1888 q the
former board did for 1882?
Al hold In my hand the report
o; the proceedings Of tho board Of
equalization. The records show that
the levy was 6.83 mills in 1882 and
6.70 mills fixed by our board In 1888,
This represents . difference Of .M Of
q mill.
Four Cents Les Per Farm
Q.-That, perhaps, does not mean
very much. Let US take . concrete
example. Suppose We take . farm. Il
Is assessed ut $4,000. How great q re-
duction was there In state taxes on
that $1,000 farm?
"A.-The reduction In state taxes
amounted to only &c on that $4,000
farm.
"Q.-What was the total amount ex-
pended from all funds In 1888?
"A-$18, ~, STAG.
"Q.-Where does this $4,000, 900
come from?
"A.-These payments were made
from some 80 different funds. They
include money from gas tax, federal
donations to the highway fund, Irvine
sales, hall insurance, license tag
money, real estate bond funds, and
many others.
"Q-What portion Of this 9ls,0oo,-
600 Is derived from direct taxes on
farm lands, city property, railroads,
ard other real estate?
"A.-The actual collections from
real estate taxes In 1888 were 1885,
OCO.
"Q-Then the claim Of the LANCER
group that they have saved the farm.
ers Of North Dakota five and q half
million dollars in taxes on real estate
Is not true?
"A.-Sinoe the total amount Of
taxes collected was less than three
million dollars, anyone can see that
the claim Of . five and half million
dollar cut in real estate taxes i not
only untrue. but ridiculous @ we'll.
"Q-How have tax collections come
in during the past year2
Ajax collections have been very
good.
Government Action Helped
"Q-Is this because Of improved
conditions in the slater
"A.-No. The re-financing az farm
loans and city home loans by the gov
eminent Is the main reason for the
large tax collections. Had 1t not been
for the government loans which per-
mitted the payment OF back taxes, the
state treasury would have been in
dire straits by this time.
"Q.-l have been asked whether
there Is waste and extravagance in
any departments. Which departments
are economically administered and
which are not?
"A.-The record Of expenditures a.
indicated by our office shows that Mr..
Byrne, Mr.. Olsness, Mr.. Husby-iu
fact. all the state Officials with one
exception. administer their depart-
nlents economically. The departments
under the executive, however. are
very wasteful and extravaeant. The
regulatory department, the beer COM
mission, the highway and other de.
rartments, are not limited by any d.
rect appropriation. SO they buy cars,
run up huge travel expense and
squander funds which should 70 into
the general fund. For example, I hold
II my hand . photostatic COPY 81 I
warrant to w. @. Mills. special oil
agent for the regulatory department,
in the amount Of >eo0o for two days'
expenses.
Another glaring example Of ex-
travagance and deception In soyern-
nlent - hangers own appropriation.
1r his speeches he pretends to be eco
ncmical. Yet the annrnnriation -
the governors Office Is nrscticaiIv A.
pleted after one wear. aitho,rh T. N.
eupuosed to lat two vears-,,ntii .I,'Iv
/ 1885. He Is usine Il mn fast
Appropriatlon uaeA In
Ills two-year apnronriation fr