NORTH DAKOTA. 



627 



company to pay a percentage on its gross earn- 

 ings in lieu of all other tax. The State Consti- 

 tution provides that the payment of a per centum 

 of gross earnings of railroad companies can only 

 be accepted in lieu of taxes upon property ex- 

 clusively used in and about the prosecution of 

 the business of such companies as common car- 

 riers. The increase in the assessed value of per- 

 sonal property is largely occasioned by the fact 

 that the Northern Pacific Railroad Company did 

 not desire to avail itself of the gross-earnings 

 law of 1890, but preferred to pay under the law 

 of 1890, which provides that the State Board of 

 Equalization, at its annual meeting in August 

 in each year, shall assess at its actual value the 

 franchise, roadway, roadbed, rails, and rolling 

 stock of all railroads operated in the State. 



County Debts. The total debt of North Da- 

 kota counties is $1,382,583, nearly all of which 

 has been incurred in the past ten years. Of this 

 total, the bonded debt is $944,806, and the float- 

 ing debt $437,777. Few of the organized coun- 

 ties are without a debt. 



Legislative Session. The first Legislative 

 Assembly of the State, which convened at Bis- 

 marck on Nov. 19, 1889, did not complete its 

 session until March 18, 1890. (For its choice of 

 United States Senators see " Annual Cyclopaedia " 

 for 1889.) The urgent necessity of providing a 

 revenue sufficient to meet the financial needs of 

 the new State, led to the discussion of some 

 measures which under other circumstances 

 would never have been seriously proposed. 

 Among the measures that were adopted was an 

 act authorizing the issue of not more than $200,- 

 000 in bonds bearing 4| per cent, interest and 

 payable in fifteen years, the proceeds to be used 

 in defraying current State expenses. Another 

 act suspends, until January, 1893, certain provis- 

 ions of the militia law relating to the duties and 

 compensation of the adjutant-general and to 

 the annual encampments, so that expenditures for 

 militia purposes are almost entirely cut off for 

 the next two years. Provision was also made 

 for reducing the interest charges of the State by 

 authorizing the Treasurer to refund the Territo- 

 rial bonds assumed by the State, as soon as they 

 become subject to call, into State bonds bearing 

 not over 4 per cent, interest. A resolution was 

 passed and referred to the next Legislature for 

 concurrence, proposing an amendment to the 

 Constitution so that the limit of State indebted- 

 ness shall be changed to five mills on each dollar 

 of assessed valuation as fixed from time to time 

 for State and county purposes. A joint commis- 

 sion, consisting of the Auditor, Treasurer, and 

 Attorney-General, was created to settle with 

 South Dakota and determine what part of the 

 outstanding liabilities of the Territory not ad- 

 justed shall be assumed by each State. 



A new law for the management of public 

 schools was enacted. Another law regulates the 

 organization and management of State banks. 

 Trusts, pools, and conspiracies in restraint of 

 trade were declared unlawful. The courts were 

 authorized, with the consent of all parties inter- 

 ested, to refer any case to arbitrators, whose find- 

 ing shall be reported to the court appointing 

 them, and shall be adopted as its judgment in 

 the case, unless either party shall show that they 

 are contrary to law, fraudently obtained, or other- 



wise invalid. The maximum rate to be charged 

 by railroads for transporting coal mined in the 

 State between points wholly within its limits was 

 fixed at 75 cents a ton for fifty miles or less, and 

 smaller proportionate rates were fixed for dis- 

 tances up to four hundred miles, the charge for the 

 latter distance being $2.15 a ton. An act to de- 

 fine the duties of the Railroad Commissioners 

 directs them, in case they shall find any of the 

 railroad rates or classifications unequal or un- 

 reasonable, " to compel any common carrier to 

 change the same and adopt such rate, fare, 

 charge, or classification as said Commissioners 

 shall declare to be equal and reasonable." Pool- 

 ing is forbidden, and the usual requirements re- 

 garding long and short hauls are inserted. 



Provision was made for the establishment of 

 an Academy of Science at Wahpeton, an Agri- 

 cultural College at Fargo, a School for the Deaf 

 and Dumb at Devil's lake, a normal school at 

 Mayville, a second normal school at Valley City, 

 a reform school at Mandan, and a soldiers' home 

 at Lisbon ; but no immediate appropriations for 

 such institutions were made except $5,000 for 

 the School for Deaf and Dumb. 



The prohibitory law passed at this session is 

 discussed elsewhere. Other acts were as follow : 



Appropriating $2,500 to be expended by the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture and Labor in relieving suf- 

 ferers in the destitute districts. 



Providing for an annual exhibit of the products of 

 the State at Grand Forks, and creating a State board 

 of agriculture. 



Providing that the Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction, Governor, Attorney-General, Secretary of 

 State, and State Auditor shall constitute a board of 

 university and school lands, having full control of the 

 selecting! leasing, and sale of all public lands of the 

 State and the investment of the permanent funds de- 

 rived from" such sale, except that all such lands 

 granted to the State by Congress shall be selected by 

 the Governor. 



Authorizing counties to fund outstanding indebted- 

 ness. 



Offering for five years from July 1, 1990, a bounty 

 of $2 for each 100 pounds of binding twine manufact- 

 ured in the State. 



Offering for five years from Jan. 1, 1890, a bounty 

 of 2 cents a pound for each pound of merchantable 

 sugar manufactured in the State from sugar beets 

 grown in the State. 



Offering for five years from Sept. 1, 1890, a bounty 

 of $1 for "e very 100 pounds of starch manufactured in 

 the State from potatoes grown in the State. 



Eegulating the registration of brands and earmarks 

 for cattle. 



Requiring every chattel mortgage to be re-re- 

 corded every three years, in order to preserve its va- 

 lidity. 



Authorizing organized townships to levy a tax not 

 exceeding two mills on the dollar for the purpose of 

 raising money for irrigation. 



Repealing the act allowing town supervisors to issue 

 bonds. 



Granting to county courts the power to authorize 

 the mortgaging of estates of deceased persons or of 

 minors or incompetent persons. 



Revising the law regulating the practice of den- 

 Authorizing school boards to purchase United States 

 flags for the schools. 



Requiring the United States flag to be displayed 

 throughout each day on all public State institutions. 



Offering to any person planting one or more acres 

 of prairie land With any forest trees, except the black 

 locust, and successfully cultivating the same for three 



