The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-16
He Replies to Commissioner Edger-
toms Interview About the
County Taxes.
Only Result OF 1900 and 1901 AS
easements Was to Enrich
tho Assessor.
Hs Taken tho School Trustees to Task
About the Christmas W eek Pay
Appropriation.

we llJn lnhts III lnIerVlGW WAb E9pofS0o
with Hon. Il. d. Edasrton in which 1t Is
stated that that gentleman smiled and said;
'Mr. Jockey Is mistaken when no says shat
tho taxes of Lewis and Clarke county were
increased last year. Tho fact Is they were
just one-half mill less beside the two mills
for Jail, or any general tax. 30 far az any
levy Ia concerned that could be controlled
by the Commissioner than In 1891" !
have taken the pains to secure the tax
levy upon property in the city limits,
which 10 AZ follows: For 1891 for state pur-
poses, "a mills; for county purposes, IA
mills; for school purposes. 90 mills; for
jail purposes. 2 mills; for poor purposes, u
mill; special for Helena school district No.
l, l mill; total, 10 mills. For 1892 for state
purposes. "a mills; tor school purposes,
216 mills; for county purposes. ! mill; for
poor purposes, a mill: special for Helena
school district No. /. 2 mills; total, So
mills. Dsducting two mills for jail put-
poses for 1891 leaves the levy for 1892 as |
stated, eight and one-hslf mills. or one-haif
mill more than 1891. True. in many of the
counties the levy is higher. but the asstsa-
ment much Lower, and more equitable than
in this. and it is much preferable to have a
fair and honest assessment with n
llRQer levy IMAM q low LAX lcVy hAu uA an
gessmen beyond reach. the only result OF
which was in 1890 and 1891 to enrich the as
SCISSOR and make tho county pay nearly
double as much of the state taxes az 1t
should. Mr.. Edge,ton goes on to say 1.-The
only u%ndeniabIe position taken by Mr..
Jockey ia that unimproved outside prop
erty is taxed. Tho only answer that can
be made to this proposition ia the fact that
- 49,. - $40 lauy 4hnt atr ~
spectators from taxation. and taxes are
one of tho burdens of real estate specula-
~tions.' What the gentleman says is
strictly true. and all that l claim ID that it
should bear only its equitable proportion
OF the general burden. ] will illustrate by
q reference to certain assessments the
equity of which has existed the last three
years. Mr.. EdRerton is president of the
Second National bank of Helena, with a
paid up capital of S75,O 900, and with sur
plus and profits amounting to s25,0 600 more.
or 100000 in gold and greenbaoks,
which is held and loaned to tax
payers, and which should produce a rev.
enue of from 10 to II per cent, or more.
BY reference to the assessment roll | find
that his bank is assessed upon $52.2lO. or
81 per cent of its actual cash vulue. Lot
20, in block "a. of the Jockey addition, be-
ing twenty-five feet front and 10 feet
deep, situate in a Rgavel bed. where Helena
avenue crosses Dry Qulch. was assessed III
1892 at 81 800. It's cash value ID hard to
estimate, but il would probably not have
sold at any time for more than $500 cash,
if that much. Ihoie arc no improvements
on it, there is no income, the Investment Is
dead, and taxes and assessments to be paid,
yet when this matter was presented to the
com mi6sioneTs they refused to reduce the
assessment, and referred me to the courts,
and when / attempted to appeal was in
formed that there was no law authorizing
an appeal from their action. In one in
stance property worth 100 cents on the dol
lar is assessed at 81 ger cent of its actual
value. in the other instance nnproductive
property is assessed at more than 800 per
cent of its value. This is protection In one
case and without reciprocity in the other.
liz il fair or honest? Neither ia this an iso-
lated case: it is the rule. and not tho exeep-
tion.
Now as to school matters. Mr.. Edgerton
denies that the money appropriated by the
trustees during Christmas week and the
Monday following was a present to the
teachers of $500 per day or more; let me
quote the Montana school law TO him,
fom section 1893. I'm every contract,
whether written or verbal. between any
teacher and any board Of trustees, a school
month shall he construed anu taken to be
twenty school days, or four weeks of five
school days each. and no teacher shall be
required TO teach school on Saturdays, the
Fourth of July. the first day OF January,
SAriStrnaB uaY, ana no ueGnCjlOn from tne
teachers time or wages shall be made by
reason of the fact that a school day happens
to be one of tho days referred to in this
section as Il day on which school shall not
be taught Then from section 1908.
County school moneys NAV be used by
tho county super intenuent and trustees for
the various purposes as authorized and
provided in this article, and for no other
purpose" In the first section quoted
twenty days make a school month, the
I--,-k,E - J,l, tho G-rA a.
and Christmas day bong the only holidays
for which thete shall be no deductions,
even Thanksgiving day is not exempted
under this clause, yet l am advised
that our trustees paid Il full months
salarv for only eighteen days service
when last Thanksgiving day occurred, no
school being held on the Friday following.
II the school trustees or MIR. Edgerton oan
find any authority to justify the payments
of salatier dining Christmas week and the
Monday following, | would like to have
them point it out.
have not one word to say against the
teachers. If we have n school board so
weak IA to give awav school money (Which
of all fnnds in the United States l believe
should be held most sacred), and that. too,
when the district is about 100000 short of
funds to run the sohoolsthis year, the teach
era should not be blamed, ana | would ad-
wise them to strike the trustees for full pay
during the summeg as well az all other va
. II INV ~ oui Ntuooi lbhtS ~
the past have been ''worked' the same as
any other fund. In 1891 | contributed about
81 LOO to the school fund: in 1892 more
than 81, go. If | have not a right 20 insist
upon honest management, who has? How
much have tho gentlemen who voted nwny
tins money cont lbuted? ] started in some
time ago to oppose this character of mis-
management. and propose to keep it up
until there is g reformation. or until | am
compelled TO Join the great number of per
Gems who have been driven fro,u Helena on
account of It, or 20 haps what will be most
satisfactory, which ia TO find a market for
the property II has taken me twantv-seyen
years hard work IN Helena to accumulate,
when | will leave of my own accord, aud
which / am teadv TO do Mt any time If it
shall become necessary. Il. LoCKrY.
Helena, Jan. Ii. 1892.
In comparison with the c,lossal clearing aalo
nj Snl ds Bros. all other sales will sink Into in
tignituancc.
Ladies', misses and children's underwear vor,
ohesp as iho Roo Hive.