Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-14
MONTANA TAX
CONFERENCE
BEING HELD
Reyeral Speakers Want Tax
Reforms, but Always at
roll the Cost of Others.

LeWistown. Mont. March 14.-The
'fs9kate tax conference held three ses-
q 1pns yesterday and while there were
flumber of changes on h program.
1Wtng to the failure of Attorney Gen.
~ Ford and some others TO arrive,
anstfk1fs the sessions were most inter-
lereFtingsa* t9u
vs. &Ws3J. Hannah of Big Timber, was
only speaker to appear at the
.L.horntng meeting, and he discussed in
very general way economic aspects
malt xtfseatax. a5a5
H9t Stone of Dillon, wa the first
peaker in the afternoon and he un-
to demonstrate that the
~ tanKs uf.Montana were made to pay
INC higher tax than other interests and
Industries, The, farmers, he consider
! offAl,- were the most fortunate Of all in
,iss Iiespect to taxation aus well as in the
NO. extended them. where necessary.
OK theyesha profited more than any
ent Ither class from the war, he said, a
; tatemsnt that was instantly chal-
4 ntngAd by a farmer from the fioor.
limestone undertook to show the cor
fctness OF his statements as to the
DISCRIMINATION against the banks in
.aAk1e,s matter. of taxation by comparing
SIZE assessment figures On bank prop
&'tys and land, stock and SO on.
~ w. B.. Sands, of Chinook, spoke on
.tiSine taxation, and claimed that the
40 lines were very much under-taxed in
3lis state, as compared with other
4asses Of property, and industries. He
90 deferred to the Anaconda company in
!. Nlrticular as being a beneficiary of a
sFs*J Effective system. and claimed that
ought to be assessed upon two
nroa fundred,milliOn dollars instead Of
hind airtv-six millions. !.
!. st1,1E.. HO. Evans, Of Butte, general
luicn ,us,sel for the Anaconda, immediate
stin showed, as he claimed, errors in
1rY 1agSandS statements, as much of the
es d$torerty' that he included in his to-
-int4l q was located in other states, in
.M1t& eXico and in South America. Mr..
analysed the taxation laws as
IGn9,lating to mining, and undertook to
tcaaHroW'. that the valuation placed upon
i4aA$ tnfitg property was very much high
x than upon farm property. He re-
g RED to the benefits the mining in
brought to the state in many
and said the daily expenditures
IA ft the Anaconda company AMOUNT to
IT, PFC, 900 According to the basis
aucy sed the Anaconda was taxed upon ar
at, ssessment that would be from AZ to
81 per cent of actual valuation. while
ncel reafarm' land Of Fergus escaped with
taxation of from Is to 20 per cent
peel f.the real value of the land.
anl Last evening, Matt W. Anderson, OF
asti elena made the hit of the session
por nina keen.Nbut good natured ana AZ
"a ines very humorous discussion OF
tiod kaen question "is our tax burden suf-
iss aently great?" Mr.. Anderson spoke
II y the farmers and answered the
iod position emphatically in the affirma-
"a Se... =. ~.
~ : ,Er. Louis Levine. of the state uni.
s1HiittY, discussed rather. briefly the
- IestfOn of mine taxation and A. H
,in Fudley, tax agent for the Milwaukee
a stem spoke on the question of taxa.
in bringing out some facts in thai
md Snnection not much considered BY
,e public. "a He c%ontended that the
80 always were paying their full pro
~ ortion Of taxes as compared witt
her CLASSES Of property and inter