The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-23
Big Figures May Stagger the Mind Without Advancing
the Question, Says Economist Mining Assess
ments Discussed in Light of Earnings
(By Dr. Louis Levine, Department Of Economics,
State University.
HI-The Case of the Copper Companies.
dr. Levine has written series Of six articles on this sub
ject The fourth will appear tomorrow morning)

The Rue Miner commented edtorialy the other day upon
mining industry today bears extraordinary tax upon
levied against other industry Montana that IS
tax proceeds That in the opinion of the Butte newspaper
unfair become accustomed to paying his extra
he longer thinks of oectng to this discrimination
against We warned however that there limit to the
miners good nature patience the limit has about been
the other hand there wide spread feeling throughout
mining industry has borne prop9rtonate
share of the burdens of taxation.
There is thus agreement point namely that the
unjy taxed The disagreement arises only as to where
that they oveaxed their opponents claim that the mines are
perpeate condition which leads to dssmina
ton against industry of the state The problem for both sides sides
everybody wants-"ste to the miners and to the state
be solved until general
'ss and theirs ars a' %
equitable Of taxation not the penazns Of
figures upon figures show that the mines spending large
of in the state Presumably like all other people are
helping their state but to make profits II they spend Large sums Of
the sss y % ND e they ake hope
An Of figures running in the millions and showing the
not advance the question staggering just
should be avoided the moment when clear vision of the
the hearing of the committee January IS figures
presented prove that the mining companies
It sta stated M that the @ s 'gs @ | sss
the mind but in itself meaningless might have added
geher paid for fifteen and obtain still
There little enlightenment also in the statement that in 1916 the
Anaconda paid taxes $99622 This figure includes
municipal and classes of located
different parts the In order make the figure ntelgbe
would be necessary describe the the
the different countless and the that actually paid
the property Taken alone this figure simply
plies that the Anaconda has properties throughout the
state No ever doubted that
However taking lump figures paid by tic
authorities
publish statement the total amount of collected fol
all the state But in the published by the bureau
Of for 1913 According
the total Of Monnna 1913 for
and municipal purposes $l2 isl During the tht
paid 1852 633 In other
conda contributed in 1913 only 5S Of all the
by the State of Montana Even if should
the received by the and municipalities
the general property special property taxes poll pec
business licenses other purely
the people of Montana paid $6726 against 1852
paid by the Anaconda 9 7
If has the tendency under the weight Of figures
be careful to reel in the direction indicated by the figures
The comparison made the hearing of January IS
the Anaconda other
points the conclusion The of the
assessed in 1916 $33093 The stock the company
quoted during the few days IS and higher AS the
paid dividends outstanding it woul
capitalization 2OoOOooOo The woul
be the it estimated the basis of According
Boston News quoted in the nnat of January the
dividend disbursements of the Anaconda Copper 191
$63l875O 81 share having value of
surplus about $35OOOOO That the
of the Anaconda last ccorng to the
Of Wall at least $50OOOO0O about $21
Captalzng these earnings at rates of interest would
a market value of of compan
thus assessed at not than Is cent OF its market
aost1oes 7,ss tcentinued on Page ssx)