The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-24
MissOula Representative At
tempts Vainly to Substi-
tute Better Scale.
M'QUARRIE BEHIND,
CORPORATION BILL
Lusk Not Voting; Other
Members Of Delegation
Stand With Higgins.
(6y w. G. Ferguson, Staff CORRESPONDS :

10y w. G. Ferguson, Staff Correspond
ent)
Helena Feb. 23.---By a vote of 81 to
50 the house of representatives TODAY
deteated Representative Ronald liig-
gins OF Missoula and his small band of
adhercnts in their attempt to substi-
tnte graduated scale of taxation for
the corporation income tax proposed
hy the Gould measure. II. II. 3i5 No
sooner had the Gould bill been passed
by the committee of the whole than II
was placed on third reading and passed
by vote of 25 to g.
Fifty -four days ago the people of
Montana thought that in Helena had
assembled a body of legislators which
would defy corporate Influence with
legislation equalizing the tax burden
OF the state. Fifty-four days is long
t'ne to submit any body of men to the
skillful manipulations of adroit politi-
clans. The Fifteenth Legislative as
sembly has now gone on record as be-
ing of the earth earthly. The clay in
IT'S composition seems of no more he
roic mixture than that Of the IA legis-
lative bodies which have preceded "A.
unless some consolation Is to be found
In the remark OF Representative Hig-
gins that when he first entered the
legislature an amendment such as he
offered would not have even received
serious consideration.
Higgins Fought Ably.
No man can say that the Missoula
county representative did not fight
valiantly for his measure. He present
ed to the house one of the most clear,
concise and wcll-arranged arguments
TO which 1t has listened. Had the mcr-
Its of the measure been under consid-
Grafton it Is certain that Higgins would
have carried his contentious over the
feeble, flaccid and faltcring support
given the measure by the corporation
henchmen. Belden of Fergus was the
only man whose arguments carried
even somblance of plausibility. and
that was due to his skillful handling
of Il difficult situation and not to the
material at his command.
The Machine Works Well.
The true artist glorcs in the product
OF his hand and mind The closer the
finished product of the painter. the
sculptor or the artisan comes to per
lection. the greater the esteem in which
he holds it and the greater the salts
faction h" takes in viewing. it in its
completed state. II is not hard, then.
to picture the satisfaction and the
knowledge of u work well done which
filled the hearts and minds of those
staunch supporters of the Amalra-
mated Copper company and other large
corporate interests of the state of
Montana as they stood by and watched
their smooth. well-oilcd machine again
PROSTATE the rights of the people and
once more defeat the Oft repeated at
tempt of injecting an element Of just
ice into the tax situation Of the state.
For nearly five hours the sham bat
tie ragged. House bill 345. introduced
by Gould. Madison, was made a speci!n
order of business for II O'clock this |
morning. After the house had adopted
those amendments which had been
agreed upon and had turned down
every other attempt to amend the bill. |
the whole bill was placed before the |
house.
The Higgins Amendment.
Higgins then offered amendments |
which would have placed 4 graduated |
tax on corporations as follows:
Incomes from $500 to $a5,00O, one |
quarter of one per cent
$4,000 to 100000, onc-half of one |
per cent.
100000 to so5O.OOc. ee-quarters of |
one per cent
s25O.000 to 100000. one per cent.
100000 to $1,000. 900, one and one
half per cent
$l.0OO,00o to $4,000. 900. two per cent |
$5.o00,o0o to sl0,Oo0,0OO, four per |
cent
In excess of $1O,0OO.oO0. five per cent |
McMahon. Silver Bow, Immediately
attempted to have the chair declare the |
out of order but the chair |
man ruled in Higgins favor.
Higgins then proceeded with his ar
gument which is produced in full else
where in The Missoulian this morning.
He attacked the Gould bill on the
ground that it could not be classed as
u revenue measure and was the result 4
nf 10 s,,fl