The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-21
THIS IS A LARGE SUIT
1t Is Brought 10 Recover Taxes From
the Anaconda Mining Company.
HOW THE TROUBLE AROSE
There Was a Delay In Getting a
Statement From the New York
Office of the Company-The
Assessors Action.
HOW THE TROUBLE AROSE

Probably the biggest tax SUIT ever
! brought In the courts of the state was
instituted in the district court yester-
day by County Attorney Wines against
the Anaconda Mining company and
the Anaconda Copper Mining company
for s59.500 claimed to be due on the as
sessed valuation of the net proceeds of
the company's mines for the year end
Ing July 1, 1895, and for 1850 as a PEN
atty. This is a suit on the action of
Assessor Warfield, who arbitrarily
raised the company's assessment
/ s3,5OO.000. The complaint alleges that
the Anaconda Mining company was on
July 1 the owner of and in possession
of the Anaconda, st. Lawrence, Never
Sweat, Mountain Consolidated, Green
Mountain and High ore quartz lode
claims in Silver Bow county, and on
the date mentioned the properly de-
scribed was transferred to the Ana
conda Copper Mining company. The
said Anaconda Mining company failed,
neglected and refused to make out and
10 deliver to the assessor of Silver
Bow county on or before July 10, 1895,
statement of the gross yield of met
ais and minerals extracted from the
mines owned by the company during
the year preceding the first of July,
and the statement of the value of such
metals and minerals so extracted, and
also failed, neglected and refused to
make out and deliver to the assessor
a statement containing a true and cor
rect account of the actual expenditures
of the Anaconda Mining company in
money and labor in and about extract
ing the said minerals, ores and metals
and in transporting them to mill or re-
duction works, and the cost of reduc-
ton and the conversion of the same
into money or its equivalent for the
year ending July /, 1885,
On or about July IL the county asses
sor, by reason of the failure of the
company to return the statement of
the net proceeds of the mines, and I'M
der and by virtue of the provisions of
the statutes, did assess the net pro-
ceeds according to his knowledge and
information in the manner provided by
law, which assessment was in words
and figures as follows: Net proceeds
or value in dollars of the mine, $780,
000.00," with the following notation
thereto: mo return having been made
by July IL, 1895, the enclosed amount
is returned by Assessor Carlos War
Held. The assessment list being en-
dorsed upon the back as follows: CAS-
sessment list of the net proceeds of
mines of the Anaconda Mining COM
pany's mine owned and worked by the
Anaconda Mining company during the
year preceding the first day of July,
1895. Postoffice address, Butte, Silver
Bow county, Montana. Total value,
81, SOC. 100000. This list can not be called
for. If it Is not returned promptly
within five days the assessment will be
made according to law and the person
assessed must attribute TO his own ne
glect any annoyance he may expert
ence, no return having been made the
18th day of July, 1896"
The assessment roll, as made by the
assessor, was afterwards submitted to
the board of equalization, and the An
aconda Copper Mining company, as
successor to the interest and liability
of the Anaconda Mining company, was |
at the time the property was so as
sessed and still is the owner of the
mining claims described and was and
is liable and in duty bound to pay the |
taxes specified Upon the property
there has been duly levied for the fis-
cal year 1895, a state tax of Pa mills,
to $3.50 and a county tax |
of 1419 mills amounting to $50. $50. |
in the whole to $50. 500. ali |
of which is due and unpaid. BY reason |
of the failure and neglect of the COM |
pany defendant to pay the amount of |
taxes due there is due and owing the |
additional amount of IS, $50 as a penalty |
thereon as provided by law, all of |
which is wholly unpaid. wherefore
judgment for s65, $50 with interest and
costs is demanded.
The trouble out of which the suit
grew, IL is said, resulted from the de-
lay in getting a statement from the
New York Office of the Anaconda COM
pany and the return was made to the
assessor day or two late. The net
were put in at something like
81, 100000 and the matter was brought
before the board of equalization for
but the board refused to
interfere with the assessment levied by
the assessor. The result was that the
,ompany refused to pay the tax on
the SS,5O0,0OO assessment and the mat
ter has been taken into court. where
the question whether or not the as
sessment is legal will be determined.