The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 3, 1916, Page 7

~-Fae s | THE NONPARTISAN LEADER TAX SCHEDULE EQUALIZED HE state board of equalization forced on the people of North Dakota a personal property schedule, drawn by criminated. against farmers and. favored 36 or more % i elasses of stores and businesses. The Leader exposed this deal : and stamped it as an ‘outrage. This aroused county auditors i and taxpayers, whose- protests were successful in causing the board to call a convention of auditors for adivce on the ad- 4 ministration of this s¢hedule. DHAE = As a result the board has agreed to a new interpretation ! of the schedule which practically eliminates the lump assess- R ment plan for the favored businesses, one of the chief objec- tions to the schedule as’first drafted. In addition the board has consented to placing the administration of the schedulé in the hands of the state ~tax commission, which is pledged to make further interpretations which likely will obviate some of : the other injustices and inconsistencies of the board’s taxing plan. e ; The Leader may be pardoned for feeling considerable sat- ¢ isfaction over this outcome of its fight. The schedule as it will be enforced will not be scientific or ideal or-as good as if the board charged with its framing had-used a little expert taxing judgment and commoh Sense ‘at the start, but one of its chief discriminations will be eliminated—farmers will not have to sub- . mit to g rigid inquiry regarding personal property which busi- ~, ness men will not. All will now be treated alike in this respect. It is true the schedule will still probe deeper than in the i past into farmers’ holdings and likely will get more tax ot of - them, but they will not be alone in having to pay this added F tax, as first planned. The wisdom of increasing the persomal 2 other classes of propertg: escaping taxation to a much greater extent that the increased valuation, if needed, should have been obtained from them. . R TS P , But the schedule had already been adopted and over half I the counties of the state had got their assessment blanks and field slips printed, including the classifications of the new sched-~ ule. So it remained for the tax commission and eounty suditors who opposed the monstrous taxing plan adopted to, do the best et 1 they could to-have its rankést injustices obviated without having the various counties. for the people of the state and. the farmers in_particular. 3 Al b ST SPEAKING OF NEWS AND SCOOPS P & 8] law which proposed.to place a tax of three mills on - = the dollar upon all intangible values, such as moneys i and credits of corpordtions.: 3 found in this issue of the Leader. There are two points, however, to whichr we desire to call particular attention. this law should be held constitutional it meant at.least $600,000 increased revenue for the state annually—revenues paid by cor- , porations which otherwise would escape a just taxation. i R The court goes out of the records and shows.that the o posely put into the measure and rushed through the legislature it : on the last day of the session. -. : ji o As a matter of fiews this decision and the court’s roast of " the legislature, was the most sensational happening in many months. That is one point. ' : Ml & The other point is that not a newspaper in the state feat- 5 j ured this big piece of news. It remained for the Leader to i ! make a complete scoop of it and. give it to the reading public. B e That’s the other point: == .. ; i * Read the article and see if you can tell why these papers ‘ refused to publish this story.” Tl CONCERNING THE FARGO FORUM’S STATEMENT bracing ' compliment the - Nonpartisan League has re- ceived was-that printed by the Fargo Forum in its : ~igsue of Monday, January 24. The Forum announces. that after full consideration and after learning the facts con- LA cerning the League, it “believes that great things may come ' out of this movement for the state of North Dakota.” Knowing this organization as we do, knowing the men, whd i compose it, the injustices they have suffered in the past and - the honest objects and purposes they have in view, the Forum’s" praises dre decidedly timely, fitting and deserving. We believe State Auditor Carl O. Jorgenson, which grossly dis- - property assessment this year is questioned by taxing- experts . < B and very likely’ by the people generally. There are so many to reprint all thé assessment books and add this expense-to This is only one of the Victories the Leader is going to win T the December tertm of the State Supreme court a dé- - cision was handed down declaring urnconstitutional the . A full review of the case and .the court’s:;;lecisién will be Here was a case of very vital importance to the ‘public: 1f* amendment which rendered this law unconstitutional was pur- ROBABLY the most sweeping, comprehensive and all-em- that every member of the League will join with the Leader in SEVEN Business Manager’s Corner Again for our business chat: . The Leader has had the greatest satisfaction recently in re- ceiving from advertisers the information that they have re- ceived splendid results from their ads in this paper; also from readers.and patrons of such advertisers that they have received first-class service and good prices. This proves that our ads are informative and that our mem- bers are true to their pledge to patronize the advertisers in the Leader above others, where prices and service are equat. This proves the Leader is rendering real service through its ag_vefrtxging columns to“both advertiser and patrons, which is our chief aim. Now, again as to the cut rate for classified advertising: / ol We told you in our last issue that the Leader was going to cut its classified advertising rate to members of the Nonpartisan League. Beginning with this issue the rate to members is 10 @ cents per line of six words for the first insertion and 5 cents per ; line for each succeeding insertion of the same ad. 2 Now we should have more than a page of interesting classi- fied ads at this rate every week. There are many farmers who .have things to sell and to trade, and.there are many who want " to buy and trade. The best medium through which to transact this business is the Leader, for all the farmers helong fo the League and get the Leader each week, ’ .. Don’t overlook .this opportunity to get big: returns for your advertising. : I we a full appréciation of this cooperation and approval of the Fargo Forum. _ - i At this time we are frank to say that we accept the Forum’s porfession of conversion at its face value. Even though we are suspicious of all untried neophites, we shall hold in abeyance any verdict until such time as a change in conclusion is justified “by the facts. i We truly hope that the Forum is sincere in all it says. As. " to that, however, its own future conduct will tell. A LAW MADE BY BANKERS FOR BANKERS ; QB N. this issue of the Leader you will read a story of how & the banks of North Dakota are shielded and protected . from taxation by the laws of this state. You will read how 19 banks of the state escape all personal tax and many “others get off with a nominal tax. When you, the overtaxed farmer, first read this you will - probably want-to fight. You will feel outraged. Indeed you are outraged and indeed you should want to fight—with your organ- ization. As for the bankers who are thus protected they deserve _your congratulations—not your curses. They have an organiza- " tion.and pay liberally to support it and by means of that organ- « ization they send bankers to ‘Bismarck, also lobbies. Most of you also voted for the banker candidates. That’s how it happens that they have such nice, friendly, favorable laws— they make them. _ " While they were doing that you farmers were hopping clods and chasing gophers and breaking your baeks trying to make ~both -ends meet. Between times you were listening to the siren songs of the politicians who beamingly congratulated you on your fat calves and pretty babies and confidentially assuring you that they would look out for your interests at Bismarck. Well, they did it. They put your interests on the blink. But you can’t blame them. ; 5 : Hereafter you will have to get on the job yoursejwes, do the job yourselves and then it will be done to suit you. A FREE PRESS IN THE NORTHWEST ) Q D F you believe in a free press, free speech and the suprem< & acy of truth and reason, let your mind dwell for a few; 6] moments on these facts: : " Pearson’s Magazine for January contained a re- markable article revealing for the first time the hidden strings that connect the Minnepaolis Chamber of Commerce with the greatest Railroad and Financial Interests in the United States. It was an article of intense interest to everyone in the norths west and particularly to the people of Minneapolis. You can hardly dig up a single copy of .the magazine in all that city. At stands where it is usually to be had not a copy, was on sale. . Although the article was sensational local news, not a newspaper would mention it. : Friends of the magazine started to have it vended in the streets. They were stopped with a cunningly worded ordinance. " Then they tried to get newsdealers to ‘offer it for sale, pla- carding their windows. Newsdealers said they did not dare . touch it. If they did they would be put out of business.’ So far as the power of ‘the railroads; the great banks and the Chamber of Commerce was effective that magazine was suppressed everywhere in the northwest. T ... Is it not time we united when this power, so subtle, secret; -and still tremendous can work what it pleases in our affairs? A