The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, July 10, 1919, Page 1

° THEWEA' Generally Fair. LAST EDITION INTH YEAR, NO. 155. PRICE FIVE CENTS THIRTY-! BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1919. TAX QUESTION QUERY OF THE HOUR IN STATE Everyone Anxious What Their Share of Cost of Government Will Be HIGHER IS A CERTAINTY Auditor Kositzky Declares In- crease Will Be Two-Thirds on Average Over ’18 “What will my taxes be?” is the cry of the hour in Bismarck as well as other municipalities in North Da- kota. Kari Kositzky, state auditor and @ Bismarck taxpayer, says they will be at least two-thirds higher than they were a year ago. City Assessor E, F. Morris, who is still wrestling with city assessments under the league’ new tax plan, ad- BOTTINEAU COUNTY APPROVES OF BANK The industrial commission has _re- ceived from the secretary of the Bot- tineau County Bankers’ association advice to the effect that that organi- zation has adopted resolutions endors- ing the Bank of North Dakota and approving the selection of Fred W. Cathro of Bottineau to be director Know | 2eneral. LANDSCAPING FOR NEW BUILDING T0 BESTARTED SOON Committee: Meets and Engages Architect for Yanks’ Mem- orial Temple at Capitol MAY BUILD CAR LINE LOOP The first definite step toward the erection on the capitol grounds of the Liberty memorial building for which $200,000 was appropriated by the last assembly, was taken at a joint meet- ing of the board of control, the gov ernor, state auditor and curator of mits that he hag very little idea 48/the historical museum when it was to what the taxes will be this fall. City Auditor Cecil Burton is in the same boat. Owing to the radical change made in the state’s tax system, some $75,- 000 worth of assessors’ supplies were destroyed last spring, and the officers were compelled to wait until new supplies could be printed. The am- biguity and complicated nature of the tax laws generally has caused further delay, and the sessions which the city commission should have begun June 10, sitting as a city board of equalization, will not ‘begin until & week or ten days more have elapsed. It is generally estimated that the city’s valuation will be at least doub- led and that the increase most prob- ably will be 250 per cent. Bismarck was assessed on a valuation of $2,- 500,000 last year. Under the new plan it probadly will pay on an as- sessed valuation of $6,000,000. It is not probable that the city will be let, off with less than four mills for state taxes, which would mean a levy of $24,000 for state purposes alone. On a valuation of $6,000,000, a levy of at least 10 mills and probably 15 would be required for city purposes, and in addition there will be school, county and road taxes. Heretofore Bis- marck’s tax levy has been at the rate of about 76 mills. The rate should, however, be reduced as to city, coun- ty and school taxes, with the higher valuation. The owner of a city dwelling which) he occupies as his. own home. will be. allowed an exemption. of $1,000, and the remaining valuation will be as- sessed at 50 pér cent. Therefore, on ‘a $5,000.home occupied by the owi- er, the assessed valuation would be $2,000 upon which the tax, exclusive of special improvements, would be about $152 under the old rate. Pre suming, however, that the city, coun- ty, school and road rate levy is re- duced in accordance with the doub- led or trebled valuation, the total levy should not exceed 50 mills for all purposes, which would, on a ‘$5,- 000 home occupied by the owner, mean a total tax of $100, exclusive of special improvements. The same home, if rented, would not, however, be subject to the $1,000 exemption, and the tax would be $150. While the league claimed for its tax legislation that it favored the home-owner, its effect will be gener- ally to increase the H. C. of L. for the wage earner who cannot afford to own a-home.. The increased bur- den on tenant property is already be- ing passed on in.anticipation to the ultimate consumer—in this case the renter. New rental contracts are be- ing made on an average basis of $5 per month more than was asked a year ago. Landlords are contending that the higher rate is necessary to enadle them to meet the discrimina- tory tax levied on tenant property and they assert that their net reve- nues from such property are not be- ing increased. There will be a natural increase in the cost of all government processes, city, school, county and state, of at least 25 per cent, to meet higher wage requirements and the advanc- ing costs of supplies of every descrip- tion. Added to this will be an al- most 100 per cent increase in state expenditures resulting from the crea- tion of a dozen or more new boards and commissions, for which substan- tial appropriations were provided by the last assembly, and to the levies which must be made to provide an interest and sinking fund to retire the $17,000,000 bonded debt which the state soon will assume in carry- ing out the league program of in- dustrial democracy. As a result, there is little reason to hope that, even with the assessed valuation on farm lands, city property and other taxable assets doubled and trebled, there can be any decrease in the state tax rate, which in all probabil- ity will not be under four mills and which State Auditor Kositzky be- lieves may ibe more. DODGING ORDERS AUTOMOBILE GAME J. O. Parry, representing the Twin City Motor Car Co.. northwestern dis- tributors of the Hudson and Essex, is here calling upon the Missouri Val- Jey Motor Co., local agent for these cars. Mr. Parry yesterday enjoyed a visit with Register of Deeds G. J. Keenan, with whom he attended the village schools in Mankato, 31 years ago, and whom he had not seen for a great time. & Dodging orders is the sweetest story ever told by an automobile man to- day, says Mr. Parry, who declares manufacturers of all makes are far behind in their orders and utterly un- able to supply the demand. He is not of the opinion that car prices will de- cline. In fact, he states, they are now in the ascendancy) 2. decided to employ at once a lanscape architect to determine the location of the new building and to start upon the improvement of the grounds. In the near future plans for the new building will be submitted by the state architect, and upon their ap- proval bids will be advertised for. The construction of the new building will be superintended by the board of ad- ministration, which will succeed the board of control July 26. The 16th assembly provided for an appropriation of $40,000 from the cap- itol building fund for the extension of the capitol street railway to connect with the Soo line and to supply the state house with direct switching fa- cilities. The extension was favored primarily as a means of freighting to the capitol grounds supplies for the new memorial building, {t being the belief of the assembly and of State Auditor Kositzky, who championed the bill that the saving in haulage on this building alone would practically pay for the extension. The attorney general’s office has ruled that un- den the enabling act capitol ‘building funds cannot be used for this pur- pose. State Auditor Kositzky now has another plan, which he believes will work. He would have the emerg- ency commission. appropriate from funds at its disposal an amount -suf- ficlent to defray the cost of the pro- posed extension. He contends that there could then be paid out of the memorial guilding fund the haulage charges. which otherwise would be paid to teaming contractors for freighting ‘building materials to the ground, and he believes that the earn- ings of the extension from this source would be sufficient to almost, if not entirely, reimburse the emergency commission. The commission is understood to be giving this matter serious cvonsidera- tion, feeling that the proposed exten- ion, eliminating the long up-hill haul by wagon, would greatly facilitate construction work on the memorial building. HANSON QUITS PLACE-CANNOT ‘STAY ON BOARD Assistant Attorney General Rules on Interesting Angle of Guaranty Act Altho he has still a year to serve, I. E. Hanson of Fargo, having sever- ed his connection with the Equity In- ternational bank of Fargo and not now being interested in or an active officer of any bank directly under the guaranty act, is no longer qualified to ‘be a member of the state depositors’ guaranty fund commission furnished today at request of O. E. Lofthus, state bank examiner, Mr. Hanson is now with the First National bank of St. Paul. This bank is not affected in any way, it is held, by the North Dakota depositors’ guaranty act, and it is therefore rul- ed that altho Mr. Hanson was fully qualified when appointed, and in spite of the fact that he is still a res- ident and a citizen of North Dakota, he can no longer serve on the guar- anty commission. Section 1 of Chapter 126 of the Ses- sion Laws of 1917,as amended by the last assembly, provides that all mem- ‘bers of this commission shall ‘be “an official of one bank which is directly affected by the provisions of this act.” “I am of the opinion,” says Mr. Haines, “that if Mr. Hanson has ceased to be an official in a bank which is, directly affected by the pro- visions of the depositors’ guaranty fund act, he is no longer eligible to serve aS a member of the depositors’ guaranty fund commission.” A meeting of the commission ccheduled for the first of the month has been deferred until this question has been settled. It is understood that in view of the attorney general’s jruling, the office may be declared vacant and a new member be ap- pointed by the governor before this postponed meeting of the commission is held. STAIR HAS NEW JOB Son of Speaker of Last House With Dakota Bank Beecher Stair, son of Speaker L. L. Stair of Bottineau, and who was him- self a clerk in the last house of rep- resentatives, has taken a_ position with the Bank of North Dakota, _|mission, HOW THE DAILY TRIBUNE AND “N. B. A” GOT THAT Photos of Peace Treaty After Airplane Dash the transmission by the British the Cleveland, New York, photograph to its clients first. The peace treaty was signed airship. TWO-THIRDS | MAJORITY TO RATIFY TREATY Washington, July _10.— President Wilson is understood to take the posi- tion that’a two-thirds majority is nec- essary to ratify any portion of the peace treaty, (tof AVERAGE CROP IN CANADA Regina, Sask., July 10.—Reports from the southern part of the Pro- vince now indicates an average crop, which has been very much benefitted by the recent heavy rains which ex- tended over practically the whole of Saskatchewan. In most cases the summerfallow seems to have stood the drought ex- ceptionally well and very few hav- ing been damaged to any extent by the wind, The stubble crops, how- ever, have suffered considerably, ‘be- ing very spotted, on account of being badly blown, and only 25 to 50 per cent is yet above ground. The grass and hay crop in some of the districts are said to'-be almost an entire fail- ure, having been burned for lack of moisture. QUAIL PLENTIFUL ‘AROUND LAKES Detroit, Minn., July 10—Unusually large numbers of young quail are re- ported in this section this summer. The early season was especially fine for the young birds. These birds are protected under a permanent closed season until October 1, 1920. PEACE TREATY PHOTO Signing Rushed Across Atlantic on R-34,’ Reaching Giant Dirigible From Paris and Special Train From London to Edinburgh. The most remarkable achievement of modern journalism was accomplished by The Newspaper Enterprise Association, of which the daily Tribune is the only Bismarck member, in arranging for dirigible R-34 of the picture of the signing of the treaty. of peace at Versailles—the greatest new: picture since the advent of illustrated newspapers. ; Weeks of careful Breparauion were necessary on the part of e ondon and Paris bureaus of The News- paper Enterprise Association, in order to be certain of getting this Saturday, June 28. On arrange- ments previously made with the British Air Ministry and United States officials, the European manager of the N. E. A., Harold E. Bechtol, was enabled to place the package containing, the photo- graph aboard the British dirigible R-34. _ ‘The photograph was.sent by courier aboard a British Royal Air Force airplane, which traveled from Paris to London at a speed of 130 miles an hour. At London the courier caught a special train for East Fortune, Edinburgh, Scotland, and placed the package in the hands of Commander Lansdowne of the United States navy, who was observer for the United States navy aboard the giant The dirigible, after flying across the Atlantic, landed at Roose- velt Field, Mineola, L. I., on Sunday, July 6, three days before the George Washington, bearing President Wilson, who sailed from Brest a few hours after signing the treaty, was due in New York. ___,The New York manager of The Newspaper. Enterprise Asso- ciation met the airship on its arrival and received the package from Commander Lansdowne. A speedy automobile brought it to New York, where the picture and a photograph by the N. E, A. staff photographer showing the arrival were engraved and stereotyped \by a special staff held for the purpose, and then rushed to all parts ef the United States by special delivery mail. The peace signing picture was in the hands of the client newspapers of the N. E. A. before it reached official Washington. STORM LOSS IN ’: NORTH DAKOTA I S_ $300 , 000. 00 Fargo, July~10.—Insurance losses in the storm that.swept northwest North’ Dakota are estimated by C. S. Whit- tlesey, adjustor, at approximately $300,000, on the face of losses already reported. . The St. Paul Fire & Marine has re- ceived about 100 claims, averaging about “$500 .each;: the Hanover ‘comi- pany has received ten claims, aver- aging $700, and many other compa- nies are interested. The storm was the most extensive of any in years, and as the loss was largely confined to rural districts, the insurance loss is heavier than usual, as farm buildings are more generally insured against storm loss than are city buildings. As traced by loss claims, the storm extended from Whitetail, 100 miles west of the North Dakota boundary, to Bottineau, while one sec- tion of the storm swung southward to Parshall, N. D. Believe There Is Gold in Peace River Edmonton, Alta., July 9.—Looking for gold, R. D. Featherstonaugh, prominent geologist, left Edmonton with a party of assistants on a six- hundred-mile trip to west of Hudson’s Hope. It is stated that on the Peace river west of Hudson’s Hope, there are stretches of gravel bed that are believed to contain gold and platinum in paying quantities. . It is to set up machinery that will separate the pre- cious metals from the river bed that Mr. Featerstonaugh has started on his long: journey into the northern wilds. The opening of operations for the summer has been handicapped by the enormous task of getting a large dredge into the river at the point selected. BARLY ACTION 0 GERMAN NATION PLEASES WILSON Grateful That Treaty Is Ratified and That Relations Can Be Resumed WOULD ESTABLISH TRADE Declares American Army Should Be Kept in Europe to Enforce Peace Terms Only Washington, July 11.—President Wilson conferring with newspaper correspondents at the white house today indicated he was extremely! gratified that the treaty of peace had been ratified so promptly by the Gere man national assembly, The president also indicated that he felt trade relations between Ger- many and the associated nations should be resumed at the earliest mo- ment possible, for without trade Ger- many could not meet the reparations demanded of her. Tt was made clear that the president felt troops should be maintained in Germany until the Germans had complied with all the military terms of the treaty. It was pointed out that there were several million veteran soldiers in Germany and munitions sufficient for them to operate. Given Four Months. The Germans have from one to four months in which to deliver all mater- ial, except that sufficient for the re- duced German army provided for in the peace treaty, and the president believes American troops should stay on the Rhine until the material is de- livered, Discussing the peace negotiations at Paris, President Wilson let it be known that the league of nations covenant will be in every treaty ne- gotiated at Versailles, including that of Bulgaria, with which country the United States. never was at war. In response to questions regarding the .Fiume situation, the president pointed out that the treaty of Lon- don provided that Fiume was to go to Croacia and ‘that Italy did: not lay claim to the city when that treaty was signed. The president made it clear that demobilization of the American army would depend upon the speed with) which the military conditions of the peace treaty ‘were executed by Ger- many and the treaty. was. ratified by the various governments, ~ CLARENCE PARKER OF MINOT STATE'S BEST MARKSMAN ; Grand Forks, N. D.. July 10.—Clar- ence Parker, of Minot, was elected president, and J. P. Pence, of Minot, secretary-treasurer at the annual meeting of the North Dakota Gun club held here yesterday. Minot was named for the 1920 trapshooting tour- nament. The executive committee named yesterday includes C. A. Hale, Grand Forks; C. R. Chezik, Portal, and W. B. Nimmoe, Devils Lake. In the first day shooting, B. C. War- ner of Grand Forks, and C. R. Chezik, of Portal, shooting perfect scores, won the two-man team event. The final round in the state championship event will be staged today. Mrs, R. R. Barber, of Minneapolis, is the only woman entered in the competi- tion. At the close of the first day there were 39 entries in the shoot, representing all sections of Minneso- ta and North Dakota. ATTEND CONVENTION J. R. Waters, general manager, and F. W. Cathro, director general, of the Bank of North Dakota are in Detroit, Minn., attending the first annual con- vention of the North Dakota Bank- ers’ Association to be held outside the state, The R-34 snapped by N. E. A. staff photographer as she nosed down to Roosevelt Flying Field. Letter “A” indicates forward nacelle from whichCommander Lansdowne handed the picture of the signing of peace to the representative of the N. E. A., who was present on the field by special per- TWO MEN KILLED WHEN STEAMER HITS ICEBERG St. Johns, N. F., July 10.—Two men were killed and two injured when the Allan liner, Grampian, Montreal for Liverpool, collided with an iceberg last night. The steamship with 750 pas- sengers arrived here this morning for repairs. EBERT SIGNS PEACE TREATY ENDING WAR Council of Five Notified This Morning of Germany’s Action SECURITIES FORFEITED Berlin, July ‘ 10.—President Ebert signed the bill ratifying the peace treaty at 8 p. m. last evening. OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION. Versailles, July 10—Official notifi- cation of the ratification of the treaty was given the peace council this morning. London, July 10.—Securities valued at two million dollars belonging to Former King Ferdinand of Bulgaria which have been in London since the war were declared forfeited to the crown today. ATTACK RUMANIANS. Bucharest, July 10.—Hungarian Bolshevik troops have attacked Ru- manian forces on the Thesis river. The fighting continues. GOVERNOR SOON TO NAME STATE BAR EXAMINERS New Commission Will Serve in Advisory Capacity in Dis- barment Cases North Dakota barristers, particu- larly those who are not in high favor with the league, are awaiting with interest Governor Frazier’s announce- ment of the personnel of the new state bar board, whose three members are to be named by the chief executive instead of by-teh supreme court, as heretofore. Governor Frazier advised the press last night that he had not yet taken any action under the new bar bill, which became effective July He has a month, under the law, in which to make his selections. The new state bar board is made a board of examiners for the admission of attorneys; is made a_ licensing board, to which every lawyer practic- ing in North Dakota must pay an an- nual fee of $15, which is to go into the state bar fund, from which the board’s per diem of $10 per member for time actually devoted to duties of their office, and all other expenses are to be paid; and the board is also given power to conduct for the supreme court inquisitions in the matter of at- torneys against whom charges leading to disbarment are preferred. Such charges when filed with the supreme court are referred to the bar board for investigation, and the board is re- quired to report its findings and its recommendations as to further pro- ceedings. The board has not, contrary to opinions prevailing in some quar- ters, power to revoke attorneys’ cer- tificates on its own volition, but is merely to act in such matters in an advisory capacity with the supreme court. R-B4 WELL OX HBR WAY HOME New York, July 10.—The British dirigible R-34 is now well on the way home after a stay in America of 86 hours. Taking the air at 11:56 o’clock last night, the big dirigible passed over New York city and circled over the Times building tower and re- mained in sight of a dense Broadway crowd for .five minutes and then dis- appeared at 1:16, ‘The R-34 was going well at a speed of 49 knots according to three wireless messages reecived today. 450 MILES OUT TO SEA Washington, July 10.—The British dirigible R-34 was 345 miles due east of New York at 7:10 a. m. Washing- ton time today, according to a radio message to Washington. A later mes- sage placed it at 450 miles east and slightly north of New York, making a good 50 knots an hour. RICHARDTON FIRE COST $300,000.00 Fargo, N. D., July 10.—C. S. Whit- tlesey, insurance adjuster, is at Rich- ardton, N. D., this week, adjusting losses in the recent fire there. In- surance carried on the destroyed property is estimated at about $300,000. SHORT COURT TERM Hoppers Eliminate Jury Call in Kidder County Judge W. L. Nuessle and Court Re- porter C. C. Wattam have returned from Steele, where they closed the mid-summer term of court in one day. No jury was called owing to the fact that the grasshopper menace is said to ‘be severe in many sections of the county, and it was deemed best not to call the farmers away from their homes. WILSON URGES LEAGUE NEEDS UPON SENATE In Presenting Peace Treaty De- clares Organization Is Prac- tical Necessity SEPARATES SOME PHASES One Relative to Assisting France to Be Considered Later Washington, July 10.—President Wilson plang to submit to the senate today only the treaty containing the covenants of the league of nations. The proposed supplementary treaty under which the United States would agree to go to the aid of France in case of an unprovoked assault on that country by Germany will be presented separately at a later date. Mr. Wil- son is preparing an address explain« ing this arrangement, Practical Necessity. President Wilson in presenting the peace treaty with Germany to the senate today declared that a “league of free nations had become a practical necessity,” to which the framers of the treaty felt obliged to turn “as an indispensable instrumentality for the maintenance of the new order it has been their purpose to set up in the world.” The “most skeptical” of the peacé conferees at Paris, the president said, had turned more and more td the league in their progress seeking . solutions of the problems that arose i ens. the terms of the treaty it- self. Mr. Wilson said the agreements on the covenants had given the confer+ ees a feeling that their work has to be permanent and that the most prac- tical among them “were at last the most ready to refer to the league of nations the superintendent of all in+ terests which did not admit of im mediate determination in all admnis- trative problems, which were to re- quire a continuing overstrike.” Practical Hope of Success. “What had seemed a counsel of perfection,” said the president, ‘had come to seem a plain counsel uf ne- cessity. The league of nations was the practical hope of success In the most difficult things attempted.” When the presid2at ¢ntered tho senate chamber escorted by a cem- mittee..of-senators. tha. crowded. gal- leries rose and chovre? ‘for a minute, in disregard of the senate rules. The president spoke briefly. with Vico President Marshall as the cheering continued. DEMANDS LETTER. Waghington, July 10—Under a resolution introduced today by Sen- ator Borah, President Wilson would be asked to send to the senate a copy of a letter declared to have been writ- ten by Gen. Trasker H. Bliss, on be- half of himself, Secretary Lansing and Henry White, protesting against the dectsion of the peace conference regarding the disposition of Shan- tung. The resolution, which went. to the foreign relations committee, also ask- ed for information of any attempt on the part of Jap delegates to the peace conference to intimidate Chinese del- egates. ENDORSES LEAGUE. Paris, Wednesday, July 9,—Sym- pathy with the idea of the league of nations and an expression of willing- ness to be satisfied with taking the role of a participating member in this organization and enjoy its pro- tection was expressed in the Austrian reply to the allied peace terms made public here today. The reply was dated at St. Germains, June 23, in the form of a communication from Chan- cellor Renner, head of the Austrian peace delegation, to Premier Clemen- ceau as president of the peace con- ference. The reply sets forth that the dele- gation recognized that German-Aus- tria as the text of the note names the nation—could not well take @ part in the problem of creating the league, which “by its very nature” remains in the hands of the great powers. Austria will be admitted to mem- bership in the league of nations as soon as the allies and associated pow- ers consider that she possesses a re- sponsible government, with both the will and power to fulfill its interna- tional obligations. WOMAN HAS NARROW ESCAPE FROM FLANES Devils Lake, N. D., July 10.—Mrs. John Swenson, living a mile north of Southam was badly burned when gasoline which had been splattered on her clothing caught fire from a hot stove, She saved her life by running from the house and leaping into a wa- ter trough. She is now in mercy hospital, blistered from head to foot, but with prospects of recovery. JUDGE KNAUF ‘WEDS MISS WoOD Jamestown, N. D., July 10.—Judge John Knauf and Miss Winnifred Wood were married here Wednesday. The Bride is a daughter of Mr, and Mrs. D. C. Wood. 2)