The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
THE BANK LICENSE TAX
Repeal Recommended in the State
Examiners Report.
ITS AN INEQUITABLE LAW
Antiquities OF the Graduated scale A
Burden on State INC Private
Banks The Road Law
Should Be Repealed.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena. Dec. 1.-THE annual report
of State Examiner John q. Morony to
the governor recommends the repeal
Of the road law passed by the last leg
islature. also the law imposing a license
tax upon banks. He declares that the
bank tax is unjust, unstable and dis
eliminating. Speaking of the necessity
for the repeal of the law the examiner
says:
1t Is unstable because of the am
biguitles of the graduated scale upon
which the license Is based. I have found
no one who could satisfactorily deter
mine the way to ascertain the mount
Of business in the aggregate done by a
bank. on which il Is to be charged the
graduated license tax. 80 indefinite is
the law. This license tax Is unequal,
unjust and discriminating because nat
iOnal banks. under the protection OF
the federal statutes. are exempted
therefrom. so that. as a matter of fact,
only private bankers and state banks
are Obliged to pay IL. Why this burden
should be imposed upon state and pri-
vate banks when national banks can
not be reached by any statutes enacted
by state legislatures in this behalf, we
cannot understand.
Banking Is just as much a Compel
tive business as Is merchandising. or
any other business, and should be just
as free from any discriminating bur-
dens. As to weathering financial storms
and meeting their obligations. the state
and private banking Institutions of this
state have a record nearly spotless.
AT this time I cannot recall any in
a 49,. - 49,. a.. gu,.A - 4. fA.... o e n
banking institution. I believe hat when
this law was enacted IL was not fore
seen that the national bank could not
he made to pay this license tax or IL
never would have been passed by the
assembly. Therefore. in view Of the
facts herein set out. ! earnestly urge
the entire repeal OF the license tax on
banks. as a matter of simple justice"
A careful investigation of the work
ing OF the road law in the different
counties has convinced the examiner
that IL was an ill-advised piece of leg
islation that the next legislature should
lose no time In repeating.
"In it's practical operations II has
caused a vast increase In road opera
tons a the report. without a cor
responding benefit in the Improvement
OF the roads. and we believe IL shoul
he repealed"
Mr. Morony also recommends the re-
peal OF the law in regard to the collec-
ton OF the per capita road tax. In the
place of these acts IL - recommended
substitution OF the prior code provision.
Correspondence with the various coun-
" commissioners as to the O law
brought replies showing that the differ
ent boards condemned II. offering va
rious methods of curing its evils.
Since making his last annual report,
the examiner and f.. Ii. Kennedy. his
assistant. have made official examinG-
tons as required by law of all the coun-
ties Of the state and of county OFF,
GERS thereof, who receive and distTi-
butte public funds and of all the state
officers who handle public money maxi
ing the required reports.