The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-01-29
WOULD TAX ALL SCRIPT AND
Lien LANDS.
Realty and Improvement Committee Recommends Novel Rev
Scheme to Assessors Convention Railroad Ap-
prasement Causes Much Discussion.

basis. 1 don't believe any assessor In
the state of Montana wants to be radical
in this matter. but each and every one
wants fam valuation of railroad prop
egty. And you all know that such a fair
valuation of railroad property isn't being
ven now.
Here's a man working for q living
who owns a little four or five-room cot
tage which IL takes 27 stoves to heat
this kind of weather, and he is assessed
800 a room. The railroads are stocked
for from $4,000 TO $4,000 per mile, and
their assessment runs about $4,000 or
1900 per mile. When the miner is pay
+ - a. big assessment on .hiS property or
rome dt Is pretty hard to see the other
fellow getting off with such small per-
eentage of value.
II am willing to join In petition 10
the state board of equalization asking
that board to bring UP the assessment OF
railroads to a fair and proper figure. /
believe IL the board wants to be unfair
In this matter, II Is within the power of
the assessors of the different counties
TO cut down the valuations on the prop
erdy under their control, and then where
| would the state be? I'm satisfied 1t rests
with the board to equalize this matter
OF railroad assessments, and If the board
doesn't do 1t, 1t rests with you TO cut
down other valuations which will de-
| prive the state of a big revenue and
force THE state board TO put up the rail :
road assessment.
Railroad Valuation Unfair.
II don't believe any man Is prepared
to say that the railroad valuation is
| fair IL the poor man Is assessed 30 per
cent don't see why the railroads can
object TO O 75 per cent assessment
! chairmen Cooper of Cascade and Kel-
liner of Deer Lodge Endorsed Chairman
4 Clark.
l Chairman Keliher further suggested
| that resolution be prepared to be put
I.before the assessors this afternoon,
| to have petition presented to the state
board asking that the railroad assess
| ments be made to conform to other prop
| erty assessments in the state
Chairman Alexander, OF Rosebud, sug-
| gested that more weight would be given
I to the petition II each county assessor
| and chairman OF the commissioners
present separate petitions asking the
| board to fix the railroad assessment at
a proper figure.
The assessors were little slow in ex-
| pressing themselves and Chairman Clark,
of Silver Bow, asked II the assessors
were willing to join In the movement.
| Assessor Miller. OF Deer Lodge county.
II have always felt that we never got
! proper assessments on the railroads. But
/ we are powerless to change 1t ourselves.
The proper way is as proposed-to peti-
! ton the state board OF equalization and
| TO prepare an estimate Of the full cash
! value of property In each county, and
then ask the board to assess the rail
roads on the same percentage we assess
| other property.
"The railroads claim that the money on
hand in March Is not assessed at twenty
/ five per cent, but you all know that
| generally there is little money on hand
| In that month. But the railroads have
| thousands of dollars In their depots
throughout the state In March and none
| of this Is assessed or taxed"
| Assessor Larson, Teton COUNTY,
was present at the meeting of the state
board last year and the board seemed
LAO be at a loss to get the correct yalua-
| tion in each county. The railroad at
torneys said the county valuations were
low and that the railroads were assessed
too high In proportion and for that rea-
Ison asked for a rebate. Wouldn't II be
well for the assessors to make an esti-
,mate showing the figures In each county :?
II have figured the railroad valuation In
.Jny county at from $4,000 to $4,000 per
mile. l am not railroad man, but I
do not think valuation of $50, 900 per
mile is excessive"
n Chairman Clark, Silver Bow, moved
I7tbat a committee be appointed by the
Echalr to draw up a resolution to be pre-
Continued on Page Threel