Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-03


assessment of bank stocks, notes and SOL
vent credits, and for the levy and assess
ment of cash on hand, the attempt to make
an assessment has so far proven only a
farce. In 1898 only three million, thirty-tive
thousand and sixteen dollars (3,O35, ,O16OO
was assessed as the total value of bank
STOCKS, notes and solvent credits in the
state of Montana, and only one million,
eighty thousand, five hundred and twenty
two dollars &l,OSo, 522.00) the total cash as
sessment of the state for the same year.
In my opinion the law should be made so
explicit as to the duty of assessors in levy
ing and assessing bank stocks notes and
solvent credits and cash on hand, that they
could not avoid the responsibility imposed
upon them. l believe severe penalties
should be the consequence of their failure
to require of each person personal, sworn
statement as to their cash. notes and SOL
vent credits. The state and private bank
ing corporations and co-partnershps re-
turn little or no stocks or securities of any
KIND The law should impose it upon the
oncerS OF each bank to give the names of
the stockholders and the interest held by
each, the total amount of the stock surplus
and undivided profits, and require the
president or cashier to assess the whole
OF such stock or property for the several
stockholders according to the value of the
stock surplus and undivided profits. Also,
each and every individual should be re-
CURED, under the StricteSt penalties, to rem
DER an exact account of the money or cash
on hand liable to assessment. And it
should be made the duty of the cashier of
each and every bank, if such law can be
enacted, to disclose to the assessor upon
proper interrogatories the amount of
money standing in the name of each de-
positor in the bank and liable to assess
ment and severe penalties should be i'm
posed upon the assessor for his failure to
make such assessments, and likewise
severe penalties should be imposed upon
the president, cashier or other bank officer
\ fl t1iv1o raf,, ,s,sr ,lr>
proper assessment of the money, bank
stocks, notes or solvent credits on hand.
Under the present system of taxation the
only person who bears his full share and
proportion of taxes is the farmer with a
few acres of land, or the citizen who owns
an humble home in a town or city. These
people pay taxes upon the full value of all
their property. The corporations and the
wealthy classes of our people evade taxa
ton upon fully one-half of all they pos
SeSS.
Third-The valuable franchises exercised
by foreign or domestic corporations in this
state, individuals or persons should be as
sessed at something like their adequate
value. There are several express COM
panies, doing a large and lucrative business
in the state of Montana, that pay taxes
simply upon a horse and wagon in the sew
eral cities of the state. The different COM
panies operating sleeping cars, refrigerator
cars, or other kinds of cars for the con-
Veyance of persons or freight, each and
all exercise and have franchises that are
valuable to them; these franchises should
not escape taxation.
Under section 16 of article XII of the
| constitution, it is provided that "all prop
erty shall be assessed in the manner pre-
scribed by law except as is otherwise pro-
Vided in this constitution. The franchises,
roadway, roadbed, rolls and rolling stock
of all railroads operated in more than one
county in the state shall be assessed by the
state board of equalization, and the sum
shall be apportoned to the counties, cities,
| towns. townships and school Districts
Section is Of the same article of the con-
stitntan prescribes the duty of the state
board of equalization as to the adjustment
and valuation of property between the sew
eral counties, and although the wording
of the constitution as to the power of the
state board of equalization and the county
board of equalization of each county is
identically the same the supreme court of
this state has rendered a decision which
practically destroys all the power of the
state board of equalization, so that we are
| unable, in any instance, to increase or
diminish the assessment made by the as
SCISSORS or the county boards of equaliza
tion, SO that the same will affect the whole
state Where the language is identically
the same, | cannot understand how the
county board of equalization has authority
to increase the assessment of the county,
when the state board of equalization has
no authority power, under the same
language, to increase the assessment for
the state.
Under these circumstances / would rec
ommend the passage of a law authorizing
the state board of equalization to assess
all such franchises as / have above
enumerated for taxation, and apportion the
assessment among the several counties ac
cording to the value of the franchises exer-
cised in each county. And If 1t be possible
for this Legislature to give effect to the
constitutional provision, by legislation,
prescribing the duties Of the state board
Of equalization, so that It's power of adj
justing and eqnalizing taxes will not be de-
stroyed then should recommend such
legislation, but if it cannot be done except
by constitutional amendment, then this
Legislature ought to provide for the sub
mission of such an amendment at the next
election. Upon this point ! call your atten-
ton 10 the very able and exhaustive report
made by our state treasurer. as chairman
of the state board of equalization, and rec
ommend it to your careful consideration,
SO that you may take such steps as Will
correct the evils therein mentioned.
: Fourth--In my opinion the mortgages
upon real estate in this state held abroad,
should be the subject of taxation, and If
law is carefully prepared and adopted
something similar to the law upon that
subject enacted by the legislatu of the
state of oregon, I am satisfied it will not
visions and will be the means Of levying
an assessment upon large amount of prop
erty that now wholly escapes taxation.
REDUCTION OF EXPENSES.
F'irst-Tn order that your legislation may
be effective and that the increased revenue
which we ask may not be squandered and
wasted I call your attention to several
matters wherein the expenses of the state
can be materially reduced, without in any
way impairing the efficiency of the public
service.
In nv previous message to the Legislature
of this state l recommended a law cutting
off and abolshing all mileage fees of sher-
ifs or other officers, jurors or witnesses,
in the transaction of public business. Also
the reduction of salaries in some instances,
and legislation along this line was attempt