Fergus County argus., 1902-07-16
River Press Says cattlemen Of cho-
teau County Don't Want to Pay
Taxes on the Cattle.
COMMISSIONERS SENT A MAN
Stock Which Has Ranged in Fergus
County for Two Years Listed by
Assessor Fowler.

organ of the cattlemen of that great
section, contains a hot protest against
the assessment of about 1000 head of
cattle belonging to the Shonkin
Roundup association which Fergus
county officers claim have ranged in
this county from one TO four years.
The assessment of cattle has always
been a difficult matter and 1t is now
and has been for years past the
popular belief that not sixty per cent
Of the range cattle were ever listed.
II is an impossibility for the assessor
TO round up the great herds and count
them and when cattle range along Dor.
der lines between two counties il is
very easy matter for the owners to
avoid any tax whatever thereon,
claiming TO each county that they
were assessed in the other. Every
assessor has encountered the same
trouble and this year ii being reported
to the commissioners that at least
1000 head belonging to the Shonkin
association had been driven into and
turned loose in Fergus county two
years ago. had been branded and win
tered here. an investigation was un-
dertaken. Marion Burke was ap-
pointed to travel with the association
and make a report to the commission
xxf k.. NJ
the board held July LIST the following
appears:
m. |. Burke. acting under instruc-
tions from the board. having accom-
panied the Shonkin Roundup associa-
tion on its roundup of cattle In this
county, made his report to the board,
stating the number of cattle owned by
the said association that in his judg-
ment were running in this county.
The board turned the said report
over to the county assessor and in
structed him to assess the various
parties owning said cattle"
So much for the statement of the
Press that Assessor Fowler concocted
the scheme and the commissioners
should make him 'go way back and
sit down"
An allegation is also made that the
assessor failed to reply to letter of
inquiry addressed him by Assessor
Sullivan of Choteau county about the
rumored intention to assess this
stock. Under date of April 18th. AS
SCISSOR Sullivan was fully advised Of
the position taken by the commission
ers of Fergus county and Assessor
Fowler in the premises and CORE
spondence between them later could
have availed nothing.
Ii appears to be case where fine
large tax dodger has been come up
with" and il Is human nature to howl.
The River Press said:
Ever since stockraising in Montana
began il has been the universal Gus
tom to assess cattle. sheep and horses
in the county in which they usually
run. No attempt has ever been made
by the officials of neighboring coun-
ties to assess estrays which happened
to wander from their usual range.
This rule is the only reasonable and
Just method of handling this prob
lem and even the matter mp in man
ner fair to all concerned.
But il seems that Donald Fowler.
assessor of Fergus county, has decid-
ed to break down the precedents OF
years and establish an arbitrary and
unjust rule that estrays must pay
taxes where his deputies can find
them in summer. The law says that
property shall be assessed to the par.
ties owing ii on the first Monday In
March of each year and in the coun-
ty in which il is then located. But
Mr.. Fowler has enacted little law OF
his own which bears neayily on Cho-
teau county cattlemen and will even
tually bear still more heavily on his
own constituents.
In May last Mr. Fowler sent Fergus
county assessment lists to several
members of the Shonkin association,
and requested that they I'LL them ont
for the proportion of their stock
which might stray into this county.
Assessor Sullivan of Choteau county
at once wrote to him, asking for an
explanation. but never received a re-
ply. 1t was supposed that Mr.. Fow-
Ter had seen the absurdity Of his plan
and dropped it. but reports from the
roundup show that his silence was
only a cover for an underhand at
tempt to sneak in an assessment on
Choteau county cattle without giving
Assessor Sullivan an opportunity to
list Fergus county sheep and cattle,
which range in large numbers on this
side of Arrow creek every summer.
Mr.. Fowler has had a deputy with
the Shnnkin rnunhnn while il was