The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-30
COUNTY OF BR0AOWATER.
Arguments From White Sulphur
Springs Against the Crea-
ton or 1t.
Taxpayers and Members OF the
Legislature RI Being
"BambOozled."
Would Run behind Each Year and Would
start or with $75 900
Indebted n ess.

To The INDEPENDENT; Noticing In your
issue of Jan. "a, 1893, an article from
Townsend signed "W," which In connection
with an article In the paper OF Jan. ~. Ia LA
BILE to cause Il mistaken impression, l
would ask for Space in your valuable paper
to make a few statements in nsw In
the first place, it IS stated that the opposi-
ton to the formation of Broadwater county
Now in regard to Moagher county, this
statement IL false, Az will be shown by petit
tons now being circulated. and which will
be presented to the legislature. The as
sessed valuation of the new county, IL Is
claimed, will be So, PA 1913, being composed
Of 81. 2a5, 2G4 from Meagher and 1923, 100
from Jefferson county. In his letter Nv"
makes the total valuation $2,250,O 00. As
regards the correctness of the Jefferson
county statement, ! know nothing. but as
regards the statement of the assessed val
uation of Meagher county, the amount is
incorrectly suited. In that part OF MeaRhcr
county. west of the Belt range, the assess-
ment book for 1892 shows a total valuation
OF $1,138. 531. including $149,52 Of foreign
mortgages. on which taxes have not
D0SA puius ulu WIG LHAS6 oA Wlloh
it is impossible to collect. This leaves
a total real valuation of $685. COG, which
amount ia all that can be counted on for
the purposes of raising revenue. 1t ia also
claimed that the proposed new county can
be carried on with a much smaller tax levy
than now prevails in most of the counties.
Now, the levy of Meagher county for last
year was 151a mills, exclusive of special
taxes. On a valuation of So. zoo, 600 this
would give the new county the sum of 1884,
875, but out of this sum must come two and
one-half mills for STATE purposes and four
mills for school purposes, amounting to the
sum of $l4, 625, leaving 800 50 to be ex-
pended for the running expenses of the
county. Mr.. Tierney says that the expenses
will not be over $4,000.
Now, let us see what the expenses really
will be, and the first important item is sal
aries. They would be as follows: Tteasur-
or, s., 200; sheriff. $500; assessor, $l,80O;
clerk AMI %recorder, So, 200; clerk of district
court, S1.50O; county attorney, $500; super
intendent of schools, ST, 200; under sheriff.
$1,000; jailor at $50 per dav, ,$l,O95; deputy
district court, $1,000; making n total
amount to be paid for salaries of $16.99
The other expenses, estimating them at low
figures. would be: Roads, $4,000; poor,
So 600; Witnesses, jurofs 8, ETC., $4,000; diet
ing prisoners, $1,000; expenses of sheriff in
criminal cases. summonin9 jurors, ETC..
1000; making a g and total of 1898, 995,
at the lowest estimate that it would cost
to run the new county. This does
not include bills for printing. record books,
wood, Office rent, county buildings and nu-
, merous other xpenses which would in
crease the amount considerably. Beside
running behind each year., as l have shown,
the new county would have to assume its
propo ton of the Meagher county bonded
Indebtedness which is $163, 900, less the
valuation of the county buildings, which is
about $4,000. Again. taking their figures
for the valuation, this would amount to
S37. 800, and assuming that their proper
ton of the Jefferson county debt would be
the same the new county would have to
start in with $4,000 of a debt, within $15,
600 of the constitutional limit, which is
four ler cent of the assessed valuation. The
interest on these bonds would make, at six
per cent, 50, 800 more to be added to the OK.
penses.
think that these figures must show con-
clusively to the promoters of the scheme for
the formation of Broadwater county the
utter folly of continuing the agitation.
| am sorry that l have taken so much OF
your valuable space, but believing as ! do,
that the taxpayers of the proposed new
county and the members of the legislature
are being ''bamboozled" with false facts
and figures, I deem it important that the
true facts should be stated.
ANOTHER "W."
White Sulphur Springs, jar. %. 1893.