The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-11
SUNDAY MORNING, FEB. II, 1917.
THE TAX COMMITTEE REPORT.

THE TAX COMMITTEE REPORT.
The full report of the special tax committee Of the
state senate. consisting of Senators Kane, Dwight
and Hogan, was made public on Friday.
The facts therein set forth are OF real value and
deep interest to every person in the state who really
wants TO know the truth about the methods now
employed in collecting the state
The senate committee has apparently done its
work in fair and impartial manner and the lind
ings Of fact are clearly set FORTH he report should
be printed as public document as it contains about
the only comprehensive information. yet tabuated.
regarding the sources and comparative ratio OF tax
alton in Montana that is available.
From it we find that the principal items for taxa
ton in this state are:
Total assessment of farming in
dustry .....--....... .......-..... S156, S1S,4ll
Total assessment of railroads.. S7,S1s,02S
Total assessment of livestock. 52,3S4.4S4
Total assessment of mining in
dustry ....-...-.-..-. .......-....... 42,91s,26O
Total assessment of banks .-.-..... 114l2391
Total assessment of hydro cleo
trio power Observation-Disclosures. 10 1404lo
Total assessment of telephone
companies .,..,..~..~.,.. .....~.-..-... 1ss4s1s
Total assessment of telegraph
companies 5T0.ll3
Total assessment of express
companies ..-.~..-....... .-,.-......... 15.,1S4
Total assessment of Pullman
companies ..-........ -...-...-... None
Total assessment of private cars,
oil tanks, refrigerator etc.. None
As against the total assessment Of those forms Of
property. the gross proceeds from the same are found
not to be in comparative ratio, as appears from
the following findings Of fact based on the results
of the year 1916:
Gross proceeds of mines .,.....~.,. sl4l 500, 900
Gross proceeds of farms ....-....... 81 l54OOO
Gre proceeds Of railroads.. 60,l99,9 96
Gross proceeds of livcstock.,..-... 54,lS7, 900
AS against the above total assessments and total
gross proceeds for these classes Of property the
proportion of the total taxes paid is found to be in
still greater dspropoton, Last year, the gross
proceeds Of mines being $l4l 100000. the pro-
portion Of the total taxes paid was $40 per cent,
while the gross proceeds of farms being $SI, s.,
100. the proportion of the total taxes paid by the
farming industry amounted to b. II per cent. While
the gross proceeds of railroads amounted to $780,.
996, the per cent Of the total taxes paid amount
ed to 1899.
y
Another interesting fact established by the find
Ings OF the committee is in relation to the average
gross production Of the different kinds of industry to
each individual employed in such production
In the three largest classes Of industry, the ratio of
production to The individual employee being as fol.
lows:
Farming, 5000 for each person dependent
that industry.
Railroads, 1913 for each person dcpcndcnt
on that industry.
Mining, $1,000 for each person dependent
that industry.
The committee had little difficulty in establishing
the FACT that under the present haphazard method of
assessing the same kind of property in different
counties, great discrepancy as to values has ARISEN
The assessment Of banks ranging from IS per cent
OF capital and plus in some counties 10 as low as
s. per cent in others This Unequal situation will
be relieved however, under the recently enacted
constitutional amendment that gives plenary powers
OF equalization to the state board.
In the words Of the tax committee,
The comparison of the foregoing figures
has led yoUi committee believe that the
large mining companies. the ny dro- electric
> companies the express companies and the
Pullman car companies ar" not paying their
proportionatc share of the states taxes.
We also of the opinion that all of these
companies are ahnndantly able o respond to
the needs OF this state in the matter of reve-
without injury to their business or in
any manner jeoEardizing the genera; welfare
of the people Of the state
AS to the railroads, the committee says: We be-
eve that the railroad companies Of the state are pay
ing their proportonae share Of the taxes"
The committee recommends
That suitable legislation should be en-
l,,,ci,