The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-07
BOARD NET YESTERDAY
Routine Business Only Was
Transacted at the Meeting.
NORTHERN PACIFIC TAXES
Board Instructs the Treasurer to Ac-
cept the Original Amount of Deln-
quent Taxes, Together With
10 Per Cent Penalty.

The quarterly meeting of the board
| of county commissioners was opened
yesterday. A. NJ. Walker. chairman.
James w. Geary and T. C. Davidson
We're present. ....-. p
The most important business of the
day was the adoption Of the following
resolution by the board in regard to
the Northern Pacific delinquent taxes:
| That the treasurer of this county is
hereby authorized and instructed to ac-
| Gept from the Northern Pacific Railway
| company the face of original tax with
| 10 per cent. penalty for the unpaid
| taxes now standing upon the records
of this county on lands owned by the
Northern Pacific Railway company in
Deer Lodge county for all years from
and including 1897: the Northern Pacific
Railway company, in addition to the
above to pay to the treasurer of this
county an additional 10 per cent. on
the tax of 1894 for publication fees in
CURED in the advertising of the lands
owned by the company for the year
1887. However, if any sales have been
made during any of the years prior
to and including 1897 to any other
purchaser than the county and state
above named railway company to make
redemption of any such tracts accord
ing to the statutes governing same"
The Northern Pacific thereupon turn
ed over to County Treasurer Hallahan
before he left office a check to the
amount of s9,302.25.
The Northern Pacific tax matter has
been a source of some interest to the
people of this state. 1t first came up
in hay hn ~
fused to pay taxes on certain lands
within its grant, on the ground that
no classification had been made as to
whether the lands We're mineral or as
ricultura The case got into the
courts in test case brought for the
purpose of determining the matter.
The suit finally found its way into the
supreme court of the United States,
with the result that the railroad COM
pany was defeated.
The Northern Pacific first refused to
pay the taxes on the lands in ques-
ton in this county in 1893. In that
year the county treasurer sold the lands
for the taxes. Judge Knowles of the
United States court decided that the
sale of the lands was Illegal because
the railroad property was then in the
hands of a receiver appointed by the
United States court, and that in order
to sell the lands permission should first
have been obtained from the United
States court.
The taxes remained unpaid for the
years 1898. 1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897. In
1897 the railroad was taken out of the
hands of the receivers. AS the taxes
| for that year nor the years mentioned
| had been paid. County Treasurer Hal
| lahan of this county decided to sell the
| lands for all of the taxes and delinquent
penalties.
The Northern Pacific people, in 1897,
| made propositions to the county COM
| mssoners in nearly every county in
the state where the company owned
land to forego the selling of the lands
until a decision should be rendered by
the supreme court of the United States
in the Jefferson county test case The
agreement further provided that in
case the decision was adverse to the
company the taxes would be paid
There was nothing said about penal
ties. however. Several of the boards
of county commissioners agreed to this
proposition. The commissioners OF this
county agreed to it, but County Treas
urer Hallahan declined to sign the
agreement and it therefore went by the
board.
The usual quarterly bills were con-
sidered and ordered to be paid. Among
them were the bills of Sheriff John
Conley for the board of the prisoners
of the county jail, amounting to 1914.
The st. Joseph's hospital bill to the
sick and poor was also ordered to be
paid
The question of the road supervisors
will be taken up by the board to-
day.