The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-08
He BREAKS THE RECORD
A Small Delinquent List Under
Treasurer Kinds.
1T GAVE THEM TROUBLE
The Notorious Markley and Armstrong
Contract is Proving One of the
Worst Experiments the Coun-
ty Has Yet Made.

County Treasurer Kinds has broken
the record for tax collections in Silver
Bow county. The accounts of his office
were made up yesterday and they show
that the total delinquent list amounts
to but 1923, 1913, of which about $4,000
belongs to the Markley & Armstrong
list. the correctness of which is in great
doubt. and at all events does not
properly belong to the regular delin-
auent list, and deducting that the
amount of taxes actually delinquent
for this year is only SIS, as
against s34,39S.TS last year. The total
tax due this year was $4ll, 50, OF
which 1898, 015.7 10 has been collected. Out
IS, 900 of 1t has been related on excess
sive taxes, making the actual coiiec-
for the year was s412.957.16, of which
s378, SOS. 3S was collected up to and IN
Guiding the first Monday in December,
leaving S34. IS delinquent.
The county treasurer ana MS assist
ants. as well as the commissioners and
other county officers, have had more
trouble on account of the taxes levied
under the notorious Markley & Arm
strong contract than by the whole or
the remainder of the tax roll ana othef
business of the county combined inc
contract, which was entered into by the
Ciu commissioners against the diN ~
and protest of the county attorney, IS
proving one of the worst experiments
the county has yet made. Markley O.
Armstrong made up q big list OF prop
erty which they claimed had escaped
taxation in Silver Bow county FOR many
years The commissioners agreed that
the contractors should be paid half OF
all the taxes collected on that class OF
property and to secure the contractors,
thew were paid $4,000 in advance. When
they had completed their list the tax
on it figured up to $l0,571.25. so Tar the
treasurer has collected less than Sl,ooO
on IL and it is almost certain that not
enough Will be taken III TO onset the
ST. 900 advanced.
So far VERY few cases have been found
where the Markley & Armstrong as
sessments We're correct and hundreds OF
them have been stricken from the ron
when it was demonstrated the assess
ments were erroneous. In nearly every
instance where the tax amounted TO
over a dollar there was complaint
made to the commissioners and upon
investigation it was found that the de-
scription was wrong or that the tax
had been paid under different descr1p-
| ton. In many cases the assessment
was made under a mining location, re-
/ CARELESS of the fact that the property
| had long been in use as town lots and
/ taxed as such. As the county must pay
the state and school district apportion-
4 ment after allowing Marley q Arm
strong so per cent on all that is col
leeted the. county must lose five mills
on every dollar. Markley & Armstrong
have made number of assignment
of their expectations. The State Saw
ings bank has one for about $4,000; w
/ A, Clark about 81 200, and o. X. Lewis
and DR.. Wix have assignments TO
smaller sums Where the compiled
tions over the tax contract matter vii
end is hard to tell, but the commits
| sioners are still hearing complaint
daily and are knocking off the assess
ments as fast as it is shown they ar
i erroneous.