Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-01-14
THE-GOyERNOR
RECOMMENDS
Continued from First Page).

ly every inducement for the unscrupu-
lous and criminal classes TO practice
such a fraud and imposition.
This state. with a liberality and
prodigality unprecedented, has offered
bounties far beyond its immediate
neighbors. thus Inviting the shipment
Of skins and scalps into this state to
harass the state board Of examiners
and deplete our bounty fund.
1t has inaugurated a new open
door policy altogether too one-sided
in its operation. There should, at
least, be the semblanee of r~eciproci.
ty even among "scalpers." poo,
Il am often reminded that the tax
for the bounties comes out of the live
stick interests OF the state. and is de;
rived from a special tax levied for that
purpose, and that stockmen, as a rule
are satisfied to pay the tax. ~. u..'
This is not wholly true. but II 1t
was, every temptation to abuse the
law and make payment for animals
not killed within the state. ought to
be removed. ~ "a ar 30.
The nrst great step in that direc.
ton should be to reduce u bounty
to correspond as nearly as possible
with the bounties offered by adjoin-
ing states or by some means induce
the adjoining states to raise their
bounties to correspond with ours and
thus by united efforts commence and
prosecute a war OF determination.
Four houndred AMI fifty thousand
dollars worth of these claims have
been filed with the state board of ex-
aminers in the past two years, and
over three hundrsl and sixty thous-
and dollars OF these claims have been
paid during the same period. . "
We r Just at the beginning of
the year, and not a dollar Of last
years taxes left with which to pay
the present deficiency on that amount
to say nothing of those claims which
will accumulate between now and the
receipt of this years tax in D.cembc-
next, a sum which will approximate
$685. OO.
For the year 1902 North Dakota
paid in bounties $4,000. For the bi
enniaI period endin; September 80
1902. Wyoming paid only $2fc93. IN
Utah, for 1901 and 1902, the. state
paid s11 1888 for bounties on WI ami
, mails and in. addition sii,569 80
which represents onehalf of tho
/ amount paid by the various counties
|, for bounties on destruction of ja,sk
rabbits. prairie dogi. %musk.ats. Eng
lish sparrows and other destructive
birds and eggs. % 49," '"t t-,.
In South Dakota the law limits the
amount of bounties 10 be paid in an.
one year to $4,000. The amount rait
for the year 1901 was 5000, AMI fol
1902 s2.029. -..5 "a rs,. q
, In Idaho and Washington the lev,
, for bounties is made ~ he county
commissioners Of the several. COM
, ties, and laid upon the live stock in
| ~terests of the respective counties.
- have been unable to obtain tn,
D aggregate amount in the last two
years. r.. - ~
: Admitting for the sake of argumen'
: that stockmen, as a rule, are willin:
: to contribute the large sum of none,
, necessary to pay the extraordinar,
, bounties authorized by our law, there
: is another class of citizens who ha; 4
a right to protest. AL many of whor
do protest, against contributing to {
! fund in which they do not have
common interest.
Section 3,075 of the Political cod
provides that 5 per cent of thu
. amount derived from the collection
of all licenses shall be credited to the
bounty fund. This Is essential,
wrong. 1t is doubly wrong. in view
of the fact that such revenue is need
ed by the state.
Instead Of 25 per cent of such Ii
r censes going to the state, as proyid
I ed by section 1859 Of the Politica
l code, the 5 per cent above referre,
to should be added. making the state
: portion of such licenses 80 per cent
= and both of these sections should b,
amended accordingly.
After careful consideration of thu
, subject, further recommend that th'
|, law be 81 amended as to reduce thu
bounties to or approximately neai
those of adjoining states. and tina
the county commissioners of the sev
3 eral counties be authorized and ti
rected to levy a special tax for. II,
: payment Of the same In their respec
\ tive counties. upon the stock Inter
ests therein, taking as a basis there
for for the first year, the number
killed in such county for the proceed
y ing year, as shown by the record o
the state board of examiners. ant
e that the several boards of county
{ commissioners and the county treas
: urers be charged with the admins
tration OF the law.
i In my opinion, such n law will be