The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-11-10
OFFICIAL PAPER oFTcnoUTEAU COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10, 1909.
MONTANA'S TAX PROBLEM.

MoNTANA's TAX PROBLEM.
It is not usual that an increase il
the taxable wealth of q state presents q
serious question, but that Is the situa.
ton in Montana today. The state
board of equalization has now the
eQualized and correct assessment from
all the counties, and it shows that the
taxable wealth of the state this year
ts in round numbers s282, 000, 900, in.
GLIDING the railrods. This is an in.
crease of $l8, 600, 600 over last year,
excluding the increase made in the
railroad assessment.
There is every reason to believe that
the growth of Montana in the next
year will be fully as large was it as in
the past, and in addition to this there
may be confidently expected an in.
crease in the net profits of the mining
companies, because there 10 q general
agreement that the price of copper
will r~iselearly next year. But ever
If there Is no increase from the mines,
the SIS, DOC, 900 increase in the taxable
value of other property will bring the
total up to $500, 600. 900.
Right here is where the problem
arises. Under the constitution, when
the value of the taxsbleHproperty in
the state reschesis300, 900, 600 there must
be q reduction lin the tax levy from
two and Q halfi.mills to one and q
halt mills. That means that the reve.
nues of the state will be reduced, by
ressonsof. the lower levy, $3.50, 600 be.
low what they are now.
There appears to. be just M Of two
ways to solve the problem. One is to
raise the assessments of the railroads
to q 6guretwhere, by the levy of a mill
and q half. the states revenues will
be equal at least to what they now are,
or reduce the valuation Of the rail.
roads to a point where the total valu.
alton Of property iniMontana for pur.
poses of taxationS will be undsr the
$500, 600, 900 mark.
The problem is q serious one, and
deserves and should have the serious
consideration of tevery taxpaying cit.
izen.-Helena Record.
1t is strange that the Helena Rec
ord, in its study of the Montana tax
problem, overlooked the fact that a
deficiency In state revenue is caused
In part by the failure of a certain
class of property owners to pay their
just share of the expense of govern
ment. They enjoy all the benefits
conferred upon the,'community, but
contribute practically nothing-in
proportion to their wealth-toward
the cost of conducting theIpublic bust
ness.
In the matter of levying and col.
iecting taxes, there is IN unjust dis
Observation-Disclosures Montana citizens
Who own q certsinl,clsss Of property
and citizensIwho own other kinds of
property. The Eowner Rot a mine
valued at q millions;dollars is as.
sessed only thel amount of annual net
profits earned lby theIproperty; but
other kinds of real estate, or personal
property, owned by railroads or in.
dividuals is requiredIto be assessed
at it's full cash value.
This unjust discrimin alton is per.
mitted by Q clause inI:.the state consti.
tuition that was adoptedGtwenty years
ago, and which Montana taxpayers
have the right to repeal at any time
such repeal may iappear right and
%expedient. But Montana taxpayers
cannot exercise that right, and pass
upon the question, unless two.thirds
of the MISUNDERSTOOD 1.-THE state legisla.
ture give them permission to do so.
ApplicationJforl a1permit to exercise
that right has been Imade to several
legislative assemblies in recent years,
and has been refused. In the eleventh
assembly, the application was referred
by the Acknowledgements to the sen.
ate committee on mines and mining
q committee that had nothing what
ever to do with proposed constitu-
tiOnal northumberland was side.
tracked.
The Montana stax problem cannot
be solved by increasing the tax bur-
den borne by the railroads or any
other class of taxpayers who now
contribute to the public treasury il
proportion to their wealth. The only
just aud effective solution will be ar
assessment of all property upon ar
impartial sndOequitable basis.