The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-01-18

an estimate of the annual tax burden
imposed upon citizens of Montana, to
meet expenditures connected with the
administration of public affairs.
There is no official information upou
this subject in a form that is easily
accessible to the general public, and
few have any definite idea as to the
total annual revenue collected in the
twenty.six counties of the state and
expended for the purpose indicated.
Those who have given attention to the
subject know the approximate amount
OF taxes collected in their home coun.
ty, but If asked for an estim ate of the
public in other parts of Mon
tana, most of them will be at a loss to
give an answer that is based upon
anything other than guesswork.
1t would require official data as to
the tax levy and assessment 10 each
county to make a calculation of pub.
lie revenues that would be absolutely
correct, but there are available Ger.
tain figures that will give a fairly &C.
curate statement upon this subject. 1t
Is known that the total assessment of
taxable property in Montana last
year amounted to $2Ol, 764, 486, and
that railroad property included in
this assessment had a vaIua alton of
S36, III ,2l8. 1t has also been officially
announced that the taxes paid upon
railroad property in Montana last
year in the several counties amounted
to a total of S748,5l7. With these
data as a basis for calculation, it may |
be figured that the taxes paid upon
the total assessment of the state
amounted to about 81, 1O5, 900.
The railroads, however, do not own
any livestock, upon which special
levies are made by the state laws, and
the taxes paid upon this class of prop.
erty last year are an unknown quaint.
ty. In former years they have
amounted to about STAT 900, and it is
assumed a similar sum was collected
last year.
The license tax upon business firms
in Montana should also enter into the
calculation, and accurate data as to
these collections last year are also
lacking. The licenses collected in the
several counties in former years aver.
aged a total of about $500, 600, and
they probably reached that figure in
1904.
Then there are the special taxes for
the road and poor funds, levied at the
rate OF 800 for each fund upon every
able bodied male citizen. Under these
" special levies the collections in
Chouteau county last year we're over
$1,000, and it may be figured that the
total collections under these levies
throughout the state were fully $780,
600. AS there are no available data
concerning several tax items relating |
to municipal affairs, amounting to a
large sum annually, these must be
omitted from the estimate, but the fig-
ures given above make this exhibit:
General 81, lO5, 900
Livestock taxes.... .....,,, l47. 900
........... ........ 600. 600
Special poor and road. $50, 600
TOTAL so, OO2, 600
Here is q total of five million dol
lars contributed annually by Montana
to the state and county
treasures. With a population of
5 1900, 1t indicates an average annual
OF $40 for every resident of Mon.
lana.
In this connection it may be recalled
that the platform adopted by Montana
said: 1--WE believe in
prudence and economy in public af.
fairs, and condemn the reckless ex.
travagance with which the democratic
and populist parties have admins.
the affairs of this state, and
promise, If entrusted with power, to re-
its expenses, diminish its taxa.
ton, increase the efficiency of its gov.
ernment, and give to its people u Just
and impartial Administrations"
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