The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-01-25

state of Montana for the year 1916
over the year 1915 was S4S,112.435. OF
this amount Sf772o,013 represented
the increased assessment on the net
proceeds of the mines. While the to-
tai increase on new lands assessed for
the first time in 1916 amounting TO s.
1899 acres, was s15,161,27s, or some
thing more than 100000 less than
the increase on the net proceeds of
mines alone. In the year 1916 the An
aconda company contributed TO the
general and special school tax of the
state the sum of $40S,54O.74; TO the
road tax the sum of s99,26729. As an
interesting matter of comparison ii
might be said that the total land as
seSsment in the state of Montana for
the year 1916, exclusive of land owned
by the Anaconda Copper Mining COM
pany, amounts to 32,565,923 acres, hav-
ing an assessed valuation of $132,594,-
$50, against which stands the assess
ment of the Anaconda Copper Min
ing company of $780, 1913 or "a 47-100
per cent of the total land assessment
of the state of Montana for the year
1916.
Suggestive Figures.
As compared with some of the 9TH
er great corporations in Montana, the
Anaconda company paid in 1916 on an
Of
against valuation of $2,4S5,136 for
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
railroad; $17,416,230 for the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul; $29,992, $50
for the Great Northern and $27,039,-
634 for the Northern Pacific.
To consider this comparison, a point
heretofore made as to the exhaustion
of property in the case of mines and
the perpetuity thereof in the case of
railroads is applicable.
Against the assessed valuation of
the Anaconda Copper Mining company
compare the assessment of $11,412,-
391 for all of the bank stock in the
state of Montana; $13,384,S94 for all
the goods, wares and merchandise and
consigned goods in the state; $3,753,-
439 for all the farm machinery, inn
Elements, threshing machines, plow-
ing outfits, etc. Compare it, If you
please, with the assessment of ST.
966,6S1 for all the money on hand or
special deposits, or, if you will add to
this the sum of all solvent credits, in
Guiding deposits in banks, returned
for taxation, amounting to $1,729,696
to realize the sum of $3,696,377, rep
resenting all the money of every kind
and description and solvent credits in
the state of Montana, when it Is a
matter of common knowledge that the
bank deposits alone in this state ex-
ceed the sum of $3.50, 100000. Compare
the assessed valuation of the Anacon-
da company with the returns made on
the livestock industry of this state;
with sheep amounting to $6,702, sos;
lambs, $6O4,311; cattle, $2S,S11,79O;
horses $19,516,0O4; dairy cows $780,
$4,000; hogs, $520,7S0, or a total for
livestock, of every kind and descrip-
ton returned for taxation, of 1922 :
093. Compare these figures with the
return made for the year 1916 by the
department of agriculture of the Unit
ed States, where the valution of sheep
and lambs in the state is given at
500, 099, 100; cattle, $45,057, 900; horses,
$35, 1896, 900; of dairy cows, $9,997,5 500;
of hogs, $2,6S2, 900, or a total of $119,-
0962OO. And this figure, it should be
noted, excludes all livestock in cities
and towns and on the range and Is
merely given as the total livestock on
farms in the state of Montana.
Some one has said that comparisons
are odious, and truly, gentlemen, II
would seem in this case. Why enum-
crate them? The figures l have given
you are from the report Of the state
board of equalization. They are open
to the inspection of all. l only wish
that every voter in the state of Mon
tana would obtain and study copy
of this report. Truly then, might we
expect some legislation that would be