Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-03-10
OLD TIMER TALKS.
Comments Upon Mr.. Fergus Statements In
the "one-Sided Dialogue"

EDITOR ARGUS: In your issue of
the 18th of February there appeared
"A One-Sided Dialogue" i'm which
the Hon. James Fergus did most of
the talking
Will you kindly permit the .'Old
Timer" to put in his oar.
The article contained one state
ment that might be misunderstood
by those who read it hastily and it
seemed likely to lead to zone
sided" understanding az to the rate
of taxation in Fergus county.
1 refer to the statement that the
taxes of Fergus county were $3.50
per capita, etc.
If the taxes of this county were
levied on the basis of population and
not on the. basis of the property in
the county, the statement quoted
might be a fair presentation of the
case; but as the taxes are levied on
the property, it lis hardly justice to
present the matter i'm just that shape.
If the taxpayers of the county will
take the trouble to look up the rate
of taxation in other counties besides
our own they will find that while
perhaps (?) the statement in the
article of Mr.. Fergus is true, it is
nevertheless fact, that the rate of
taxation in this county is lower
than i'm more than one-third of the
counties of this State.
The rest of the civilized world" /
am willing to leave out of the ques-
ton as l unfortunately have no data
relating to outside localities.
According to the report of the State
Board of Equalization for 1896 there
were twenty-three counties in the
state and of the twenty-three nine
were called on to pay a higher levy
than the county of Fergus.
According to the report cited the
following counties paid taxes at the
rates placed opposite their respective
names.
Yellowstone, 22k mills; Choteau,
22A mills; Deer Lodge, by mills;
Granite, 23 mills; F1athead, 23b mills;
Sweet Grass. "a mills; Valley, % mills:
Carbon, 25k mills; Dawson, q mills.
The rate on property which is
taxed the highest i'm this county was
twenty-five mills on the dollar.
This would seem to be a fairer
method of comparing the rate of
taxation i'm this county with other
communities than to make the state
ment:'' F.-About twelve dollars and
fifty cents (per capita) which il said
to be the highest of any country in
the world except possibly Cuba
Another statement easily verified
which will prove of interest il the
following:
The total assessed valuation of this
county for 1896 after the equalization
by both the state and county Boards
of Equalization was 81 1907. .6Os.OO.
There were recorded on the assess
ment book of this county for 1896
about fifteen hundred assessments.
This would seem to show that the
about $3.50 and if such is the case
Fergus county is in a position to re-
ceive congratulations on the thrift
and prosperity of her citizens.
When the fact-if il is a fact-is
stated that the taxes of our county
| are SO large per capita, it is but a
proof that our wealth per capita is
quite considerable; If the rest of the
statement is true the plain inference
| is, that the citizens of this county
are better off i'm this worlds goods
than those of several of the counties
of this state not to mention the rest
of the civilized world"
OLD TIMER.