The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-12-16
WEDNESDAY, DEC. Is, 1908.
THE STATE

Apparently the concern felt in some
quarters that the defeat of the consti.
tutional amendment providing for a
higher tax levy would embarrass the
state was without found alton. State
Auditor Harry r. Cunningham esti-
mates the costi!of government next
year at S975,250 and for 1910 at $685..
$50. The revenue of the state he be.
lieves will amount to 81, 175, 600 in 1909
and 81, 1925. 900 in 1910, leaving a sur.
plus at the end of twoI years Of more
than $500, 900.
In view of the excessive taxes paid
by property owners in not a few Of the
counties of Montana, it vas not sur.
prising that the proposal to increase
the state levy should he defeated by
an overwhelmingly vote. Under the
constitution the Ipresent levy OF y
mills must be lowered when the as.
sessed valuation exceeds $500, 600, 600,
which sum it is now approaching.
While those facts were generally un-
derstood, the property Iowners of the
state, as a whole, believed the state
could manageJto existson its income,
and that economist might be insti.
tuted ia the event that a curtailment
Of revenue wasi,found to be unavoid.
able.
State Auditor Cunningham's esti.
mate allowed 500, 600 for the cost Of
the coming session Of the legislature,
which estimateswas based on the cost
OF that body! in past years. Because
Of this budget of expense, the esti.
mated cost of Sthe state, government
for 1909 exceeds theI[cost for 1910.
Montana is undergoing a Iperiod Of
developmentssand it lis to be expected
that the cost iof its state government
will increase with the:years. The esti-
mated cost Of the judicial department
of the state government for the next
two years is greater than for any two
years in the past history of the state.
sl20, 600 being %allowed!by the auditor
for each year. This is largely &C.
counted for by..thetfact that hereafter
two of the supreme court Justices will
receive an annual salary Of 81, 200 and
the third two years hence, while the
salaries of 1.-THE county judges to the
number of seventeenshave been raised
from So, 800 to $4,000.
In the opinion of the state auditor,
there willlbe no occasion to expect q
red Observation-Disclosures from state taxes
during the e two years. His esti-
mate was made on a basis of $265, OOO,-
600 assessment for 1909 and 1925, OOO.-
600 valuation for..l9l0, which with a
?! mill levy will afford an income of
$685., 500 for next year and 49, 500 the
year following. The taxes, together
with thes.income from other sources,
will, 1t is expected, bring the states
yer to'the amounts estimated by
the auditor. &The officials estimates
do not include the revenue from the
states great land holdings. Montana
received an heritage ofilands from the
federal governmentIthat already has
been an important factor in the devel.
Opment of u various institutions.
This state'sl land holdings now in
clude more than three and a half mil.
lions OF acres. These.lands we're se-
lected years sago and for the most
part include choice tracts of timber,
agricultural and grazing areas. The
policy of the state is to keep all its
lands, and to use the income from
them alone. Under this system its
annual revenue may be expected to
increase annually as the lands grow
valuable, and the income thus secured
ought, in large measure, ito support
the various institutions to which the
grants wereCmade.
On the whole the finances of the
state appear to be in sai very good
condition.-Butte Inter. Mountain.