The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 20, 1916, Page 13

ST W L SRR FOURTEEN Railwqys Escape Prairie_l)og_ Tax Pay Nothing to Exterminate Gophers -- Farmers Bear Entire Burden The laws of North Dakota permit county commissioners to levy a tax annually for the extermination of gophers and, prairie dogs. Many counties take advantage of this; many more counties would take ad- vantage of it if it were not for the fact that this tax can be levied against real estate only, hence fall- ing almost entirely on farmers and allowing every other kind of taxable property in the state to escape. Injustice of the Tax The injustive of including only real estate caused an effort to be made to amend the law in the 1915 legislature, so that railroads, banks, telephone companies, etc., who pay little or no real estate tax, and, other Eroperty holders could be made to ear their just share of the burden. C. R. Kositzky, commissioner of Burleigh county, was one of the most active in trying to obtain a reform of this law. He argued that farmers were exempted from no tax, paying thousands of dollars represented in the general tax levy which was used for purposes in no way aiding the farmer or relating to his business. Why, said Mr. Kositzky, should other " property escape a tax the proceeds of which were used for the extermin- ation of gophers, a thing of particu- lar benefit to the farmer but at the same time a benefit to the entire state and to all taxpayers? Largely through "Mr. Kositzky house bill No. 45 was introduced in the 1915 session by John- Rott, Jr., of Logan and McIntosh counties. This bill amended the gopher tax law so that the tax would apply to all property in the state, instead of to real estate alone. The bill passed the house and, was referred to the com- mittee on counties in the senate, where it was strangled. It was never reported out and there was no vote on it in the senate. Railroads Escape The state auditor figures that about A5 per cent of the total tax in, North Dakota is paid by land, and of course the farmer pays most of the land tax. It follows that a great per cent of the property in the state escapes all con- tribution to gopher taxes levied in the various counties. The railroads are the biggest taxpayers outside of owners of land and improvements and contribute nothing toward the ex- termination of gophers. Following is the law, section 2261, compiled laws, 1913, as it at present stands “The board of county commission- . ers of every county in this state may, at any time fixed by law for levy and assessment of taxes, levy a tax not exceeding one-half of one mill on the dollar of assessed, valuation upon all real estate in such county, the roceeds of which shall be used sole- y for the purpose of promoting the destruction of gophers and prairie dogs in said county.” Farmers Should Control S. J. Aandahl of Litchville, Barnes county, member of the League and- one of its most active boosters, al- ways has on tap a line of live argu- ments which he is continuall}\: spring- ing on acquaintances, together wit boosts for the League. “I had a talk with a county seat banker the other day,” said Mr. Aan- dahl, who called at the Leader office. “I found out he wasoppsed to state hail insurance for . the reason it would_interfere with personal liber- ty. He said, it would force farmers to insure with the state whether they wanted to or not. How about prohibition and many other things that take away personal liberty of individuals? I asked him that and he had no answer. Bankers are op- posed to state hail insurance because they themselves sell hail insurance— that is their real reason. “This_banker asked me the purpose of the League. I told him it was no secret -and that we were going to get cantrol of the state legislature and state .government for the farmers, who pay_the great majority of the taxes and cast the %eat majority of the votes in North Dakota. He said it was doubtful if we could do it. In denying it could not be done, wasn’t he admitting that farmers do not control the legislature and state offices, and that these offices are ‘in the control of a minority in the state -and not in the control of the farmers, the majority interest? I think he was admitting just’ that and that, like other -bankers, he knows the legislature and government are in, the hands of bankers, lawyers and busi- ness men. to the exclusion of farm-: ers‘" THE NONPARTISAN LEADER - Getting Ready! Well, Why Shouldn’t He ? The Farmers and — rchants B BY HECK , I'D MAKE A Merchants Bank PURTY GOOD LOOKIN’ ©of New Rockford, N. D. SINATOR , MISELF! A Home Institation Capital and Surplus of $30,000 Largest Deposits of any Bank in s Eddy County. Does a General Banking, Farm Loan and Insur- ance Business Chiropractic (KI-RO-PRAK-TIK) The Science that Makes People Well and Happy You Need Not Be Sick Chiropractic ADJUSTS the - . CAUSEK of Disease INVESTIGATE See G. A. NEWSALT D.C. Fargo’s Pioneer J. D. Reeves . G. B. Smith to Retaici Garage Q.o ——— Guaranteed If you go through the state senate, the house of representatives, the United States senate or the national house of representatives and take an inventory of the members, you will find that each large industry or inter- est has its backers. These backers stand at all times ready to do valiant service in the interest of the particular industry they represent. If, after a long time, the farmers get so insistent that something must be done to keep the political fences intact, you will see a large number of these senators and representatives come forward with a large variety of measures calculated, to be just exactly the thing the farmers need. As a result of this the farmers usually get a lemon. There is a reason for this. The reason is that the men who draft the laws, amend the laws and pass the laws are not real representatives of farmers but of some other industry. There is only one way to correct this evil. That way is for the farmers to be their own senators and representatives. Those who oppose such an arrangement would call this a-joke. Which is worse, a farmer legisla- %}t:re ortt?he crime of a misrepresentative body, such as has prevailed in e past? The farmer has the right to represent himself. - If he doesn’t do it right no one is to blame but himself. fie is getting ready to do it. STEELE, -:- NO. DAK. YOU always find Satisfaction in buying at the Peoples Trading Co. General Merchandise HANSBORO, - - NO. DAK. FARGO TANNERY ANDREW MONSON, Prop. I ; Receives hides and skins for tanning to har- hid, hbg‘"i:. et g iy ".Tx':’. es er TOl .or send for price. list of AUTO AND BUGGY ROBES, ETC. FARGO TANNERY, FARGO, N. . . DENTIST Dr. Prescott, of Steele Will be in BRADDOCK, N. D. THREE WEEKS---Jan. 10th to Jan. 29th, 1916. [BOOKS s Rural Credit Banking Write To-day for Free Catalog ‘‘AA” RICHARDSON & RIMBACH P.0O. Box 144 - St. Paul, Minn. V. E. BEAUDRY Steam and Hot Water Heating Plumbing and Gas Fitting NEW ROCKFORD - - N.D. Plumbing, Steam and Hot Water Heating NEW ROCKFORD - N.D. “PHOTOSof YOU” BUILDINGS OR ANIMALS Patronize Your Home Phntographcr L.P. WELLER New Rockford, - North Dakota Open your “Leader” to Page 9, Issue Dec. 30, 1915 Page 9, Issue Jan. 6, 1916 DON'T PUT THESE PAPERS AWAY UNTIL you have answered the call to duty. You can’t get good legislation passed by saying, “Let George do it.” A little personal inconvenience is necessary to accomplish BIG THINGS. Read this letter: : ; Bantry, N. D., 1-8-’16. Capital Removal Association 4 New Rockford, N. D. . _ : The Nonpartisan Leader received and read with due consideration and fair mind; believe to be a very good move for the farmers and tax payers of North Dakota, which have always had very little to say concerning political movements and 1 am sorry that I.did not have a blank for the names of 100 farmers instead of six. If you will send more blanks I can get more signers and try and keep the good work agoing. A Common Farmer, C. J. KNUDSON, Bantry, N. D. Such men are the “salt of the earth.” WILL YOU BE THE MAN IN YOUR TOWNSHIP TO GET 100 NAMES? Please send us your name at once. CAPITAL REMOVAL ASSOCIATION Farmers Cash Store o Avena, oD, ‘Paid Advertisement z