The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-20


AttornsS GENERAL &. q. Ford.s an
Aoanesmso4 thAt eoaAtv aAecasors 81
Montana wfii Asreafter oe expectA1 4
asseu1 ~ psepeetysat its fun v,,us "a
regasbA1stS1fA 1assnay in some oaaAs
tsss yesterday and with delight In ON
ers. Everywhers however. It Va
granted that the move Is an unusualt
significant one. s< Il 3 ~ :.
The attorney gansEal made the an
nouneement Thursday through !. 4 ]
Ryan, secretary efs the state ,,anard Q
equalization 70 the annuaa state. ooh
vention Of the assessor, halA-tp 0rsa
Falls. 1t was reported N ~ slfis
soulian yesterday morning
City and county officials, eepeciall.
the latter, were eenefAbv alarmed d.
the aRnouncemenE ~, I1aeadss of tn
State Universally IN the other hand
hailed the declaration ~vdth .glee. AL
assert that the effects of fun .yalsa ~
scssmcnt with be widely - aaAssna.
terial. Some Of the results OF sucl
a change win probably be.
Probable Consequences.
THE total assessel = saiuatiDn Of
property in Montana win exceed
ssoo.oe0. 300. causing n seduction in
the state levy from two and one
half to two mills.
i Missoula c6unty's assessed val
uation will exceed &s5 100000, maxi
ing the county Of the first claas.
and thus Increasing the aalaries
and number Of county officers.
Missoula county's contribution to
the state treasury viii be Increased
from approximately $4,000 to
about &l25.000. ~ r.
,.Ali takes will be increased three.
fold. ,inless the levies are reduced,
The state Win, for the first time
in many years. get full returns on
the levy allowed by the constitu-
tiOp. r.
The credit Of Missouln and Mis-
soula cotaaty viii be extended three
times. the law allowing them to ia
sse bonds (except u special cases)
only to the amount of three per
cent Of their assessed valuation.
Assessed Il Thiet.
At present property IL assessed !,
Montana ! at about one. third IT.
value. BY increasing their ievies I,
the legal limit the county government
have been, 7asls to- supply theie owl
needs on this basis. bat the state, witt
a constant levy Of two nnd one hal
mills. has had only one third the reve
nue. allowed by the cenatitution.
viii Reduce levy.
The present assessed. valuation o
the state N pxoximateiy @4s7. o0O. Oet
The constitution provides that whel
the assessed valuation shall hay
$500. 900. 900, the levy shall b
reduced to two miilA The first ef
feet of TRIPPING the asseasment stand
ard, then, Win be to reduce the stat
levy, though the states income will b
greatly increased. $50
Missoula county's classification wi
be changed. too. The Law. places a
counties with assessed valuations ex
ceeding 900 in the first elias.
providing them with higher salarie
for officials and larger numbers Q
deputies. : Missonia county 10 now i
the third class, with q valuation @
$16,2eS.689. II v%u become first
class county II the assessment stand
ard is raised. ,es
The taxes OF Nissoula and Missoul
county will be tripled, naturally. unles
the levy IL reduced, but the govern
ments will be able TO use a wide
credit. They are LIMITED at presen
In bonding to three per cent Of thel
assessed valuation: except in such spe
cial cases az the purchase Of publ
utility. when a wider credit Is per
mitted.
- May Help University.
: To the university the consequence
of the change wiil be great. probabl,
The revenues Of the state from genera
taxes will be trtpieA. and more none
naturally will he. available for the stat
institutions. Appropriations by tn
legislature have. sreqvently been dis
counted BY the state ssamtning boar
In the past becauge Of hack OF funds.
- The change l~ial .pr6bahay help stat
counties and cities to meet the II
nancial problem raised by prohibitio
and the enforcement o. the law forbid
ding the conduct Of houses Of prostl
tuition.
The change 10 In accord with tn
law. which demands that assessor
give property Its fun value. III
terms "vaiue" and full cash value
according to thu code. mean "th
amount at which the propertyswou
be. taken In payment Of just debt d.
from 4 solvent debtor"
County officials were inclined YET
terday to regret the attorney general