The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-10
Industries Classified.

dustrieS of the state OF Montana
is 42,91S, go
Total assessment of railroad
companies .......,...---.-..-......... eIsls,U-s
Total assessment Of express
companies ..............-........... 157,7s4
Total assessment of tele-
graph companies .............- OO,ll3
Total assessment of tele-
phone companies ................ 1,364,319
Total assessment Of banks ll,412,39l
Total assessment of hydro
electric power companies 10,140,4l2
Total assessment of Pull
man car companies........... None
Total assessment of private
car companies ..-...-.......-..-..,. None
Total assessment of farm
ing industry .................-...-.. l56,SlS,4ll
Total assessment of live
stock industry .................... 52,3S3,4S4
Your attention is called to the fact
that while coal mining has been con-
sidered an important industry that our
state returns show that the assessment
of this class of property is almost neg
ligible.
Paying No Taxes.
Your committee wishes to call your
attention to the fact that neither the
Pullman Car company nor any of the
private car companies operating re-
frigeratng cars oil tanks and other
cars of this character pay any taxes III
this state; that the amount paid by the
express companies is insignificant to
the volume of business done by them
in the state due to the fact that no
provision has been made by law for
the levy of a tax or license on this
business. We find that the telephone
companies are not paying what would
seem to be their proportionate share
ing to the excessive cost of eliminate
ing competition the present companies
are not as yet operating at any con-
siderable profit within this state.
While not expressly within the scope
of our investigation, we call your at
tention to the fact that wholesale
dealers in farm tractors and farm i'm
plements generally have an immense
amount of property within this state
| on which little Or no taxes is paid;
this cannot be reached through the
present system OF assessment as the
bulk of property is shipped into the
state after the first of March,
Three Essential Points.
| Your committee is of the opinion
| that in seeking the means of raising
the necessary additional revenue three
| primary facts should be taken into
consideration:
| /. The earning capacity Of tn,
| property or industry.
| .. The relation which the propcrt.
| bears to the people of the state.
3. Existing inequalities and injus
should be corrected so far as it is pos
siblc under the existing constitutions
| law.
1t is, therefore, necessary for us I,
compare the assessment and taxation
of the different classes of propert.
and the number of people who are dc
pendent upon the respective industry
Some of the figures submitted ar
based upon reliable statistics, other
must be based on estimates, but thes
estimates will be found to be approx
mately correct.
In maxim our computations We hav
taken the calendar year 1915 whic
: will account for some of the apparen
discrepancies between our figures an
those on file with the state board G
> equalization, as many companies us
$ the fiscal year ending June /, 1916, in
: stead of the calendar year. We hav
4 based our computation on the est
4 mated population for the state of 700
600.
e Gross Proceeds.
The gross proceeds of the mines f
d the year 1916 was $l41,500,000.
: The gross proceeds of the farmin
e industry for the year 1916 was SCI
r l54190.
cl The gross proceeds of the livestot
e industry was S5l 1857. $50.
y, The gross proceeds of the railroa
industry was 500, 1875. 9a675.
The proportion of the total tax
% paid is as follows:
~ Mining industry OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. SO
Farming industry -............-........ 32.14
Livestock industry ...-.,-,.......-.,.- 1913
:" Railroad industry -................-..- 1893
Banking industry ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2.33
Telephone' companies -..--..........- O.27S
4, Telegraph companies ...........-.... 0.117
"a, Express companies ....-.............. 0.032
:, Hydro electric power COM
panies .....-,..-...-.......-.-... 2O7S
Comparisons.
According to the report of the st;
he industrial accident board there W,