The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-05

l.
al property, such as money credits,
merchandise, ETC., is escaping taxa
ton. A representative of one of the
railways has asserted that only A per
cent of the live stock of this state, as
shown by the federal census, was re-
turned for assessment and taxation.
Il cannot voucn for the correct
ness of Jnat census or that statement.
The state furnishes it's own instru-
mentalities Tor making assessments
on personal property, and, Oh course,
we are Obliged to be controlled; more
or less, by the information furnished
through the federal census. The
fact, however, is that in Montana,
under our law, onIy such property is
assessed as is in existence on March
LIST, while the increase in the case of
live stock comes later on and this
may account, in measure, for the
difference between the federal census
and the assessment returned by the
county assessors.
But let us assume that all real
property is assessed at its cash value,
and that only A per cent of all per-
sonal property has been returned, and
it is beyond the power of the board
20 find the personal property which
has escaped or bring it's value up
1t would certainly not be considered
unfair to the railroads if the cash
! value of such roads as have been es-
| TO h ich NV
the market should be propOrtionate-
ly reduced, that is to say, if we
should take A per cent of the mar
ket value of the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern, fixed at $52,800 a
mile, and not disputed as far as
know, we would have, | think, a basis
for assessment about which the rail
roads could not complain and which
would be very material increase
over the assessment Of last year.
Il accordingly recommend to the
board that an increase of 800 per cent
over the assessment of last year be
made upon the Northern Pacific and
it's branch lines and the Montana
Central and it's branch lines"
Governor Toole then took up all OF
the railroads in detail and gave ais
reasons why, in his opinion, IN some
cases the assessment should be in
creased, and in others why it should
remain as it has been. In his talk tC
the railroad men today, Governor
Toole said:
THE board, in it's wisdom, has not
accepted my recommendations in full
but instead has assessed the North
ern Pacific Great Northern and Butte
Anaconda & Pacific only about q
per cent of the price paid for the
Northern Pacific and Great North
ern.
; In other words, it has equalizeC
the value of these roads so as tt
bring them down to the value o
other property, after making tn
most liberal allowance for sue ~~o~
| erty as it is claimed has eece tax
alton. OF course, we may have beer
in error in taking $52,S00 mile as
the cash value of such. roads, bu
| when such successful financiers a.
) Mr. Morgan and his associates hav,
within year, paid that sum for them
it certainly makes a prima facie case
for the board.
Z But in the event our basis wa!
high, and admitting that terminal ia
: cilities and the remainder of lant
| grants were comprised in the deal
t the fact that the assessment of thu
} board was made on only 25 per cen
4 of the valuation seems so low as t.
l preclude the possibility of injury o
5 injustice to the roads
1T is only fair to say that in thu
: past our means of information ha
l not been as reliable as that obtainet
= this time"
The board made one reduction
: only. 1t was on the Great Northern
f and the great Northern extension
: which were reduced from $16,750 t
a $4,000, so as to conform with tn
t Northern Pacific assessment
e All of the railroad men conside
:, the valuations placed upon the PROF
e critics as too high. When they ar
given another opportunity to spea
Y they will furnish additional facts an
d figures to show that their position i
y well taken.
!. A figuring of the WORK of the boar