The roundup record. [volume] (Roundup, Mont.) 1908-1929, 1912-11-01
GO AFTER COUNTY
ASSESSOR PARK
ASSERTION MADE THAT HE 10
MAKING POLITICAL CAPITAL
OF COAL ASSESSMENT
MATTER.
Roundup. Mont, Nov. 1, 1912.

ANCoANuPs NAOAiS.S ANONs ~ 4V4os
TO the voters of Musselshcll County:
Criticism invites criticism. And, in
view OF the continued misrepresenta-
tions made to the voters upon the as
sessment of the coal reservation in
N. L. deeds, we desire to submit q
statement of the true facts concerning
the same. Last July X. +. Park mail.
ed circular letter to the taxpayers
of the county, in which he accused the
County Attorney, County Treasurer,
and Chairman OF the Board Of Com.
missioners of removing from the tax
roll OF 1911 the assessment of the coal
reservation in all n =. deeds. Such
was not the truth, and *. Il. Park
knew il then and knows ii now. THE
ABOVE NAMED OFFICIALS DID
NOT REMOVE lT WITHOUT AU.
THOklTf, IT'S the following facts will
prove This matter came up for con-
sidcration before the Board of Equali-
zaton Of 1911, and resolution was
duly passed to take this assessment
off OF the roll. The Clerk was not
present at the particular moment that
this order was made, and failed to in-
corporate this in the minutes of the
meeting. This oversight was not dis
covered until after the adjournment of
the meeting, and in order that the
order of the Board might be carried
out, the county attorney, county treas
urer, and the chairman of the Board,
all Of whom were present at the time
of the passing OF this order, told the
clerk Of this. and the order was follow.
ed
n nj nf hn
reservation was again made, but after
a thorough study of the law relating
10 tie assessment OF ores, minerals,
and coal, the County Attorney advised
the County Commissioners, and was
supported by the Attorney General In
this advise, that under Section 3 of
Article XII of the Constitution, and
Sec. $500 Of the Political Code OF Mon
tana.-the latter almost word for word
identical with the former-this assess
ment could not be made. These sec.
tiOns provide the manner and means
of assessing these ores, minerals, and
coal With the County Attorney it
was not question of what he desired
to do individually, but it was his duty
to advise the Board as he found the
law, and as the Attorney General ad.
vised him.
The apparent idea of the assessors
intense desire to make this assess
ment was to make political capital for
himself by reducing the farmers valu-
alton. raising the amount of the cor.
poration's assessment, without regard
to the law and even II in direct con.
travension OF the law, maintain the
high assessed valuation reached In
1911, raised the class of the county
and the officers salaries. The votes
of the farmers were expected because
of the reduction of the valuations of
their property and the increase of the
assessment of a corporation. even II he
acted contrary to the constitution and
the laws of the State of Montana.
This is submitted to the voters that
they may have true statement In re-
gard to the actions of those mentioned
in the circular letter of last July. and
that they may not be misled at the
last hour before election day by a cir
cular letter printed on yellow paper
and mailed by Mr.. Park to the voters
on the last day of October
Respectfully,
DESMOND. J. O'NEIL, Co Atty.
NJ NJ KLEIN, Chairman.
A. A. MORRIS, Treasurer.