The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-09-05
ATTORNEY GENERAL
SCORES EQUALlZERS
In Labor Day Speech He Says Valua-
tions of Corporations Are Fixed
Too Low.

Great Falls, September The
Montana state board of equalization
was arraigned by Attorney General
S. C. Ford in a Labor day address
here today for what he declared to be
it's delinquency in fixing the assessed
valuation of property owned by pub
lie service corporations. Mr.. Ford
addressed a large audience at one of
the local parks, speaking for Is min
utes and devoting his entire address
to the subject of taxation.
The Great Northern, Milwaukee,
Northern Pacific, Burlington, Butte,
Anaconda & Pacific, and the Oregon
Sort Line railroads and the Montana
err company and the Thompson Falls
Power company were named by Mr..
Ford as concerns whose holdings have
been assesse d by the board at consid-
Power company, the Great Falls Pow
erably less than their actual value.
According to the speaker, the prop
erty of the Great Northern has an &C
tual value for rate-making purposes
of 500, 900 900, but is assesse d at $81,
OOO, 900, while the Northern Pacific's
holdings have an actual value of $780,
900, 900, although assessed at S72,-
100000. The Oregon Short Lines
property, he said, was worth $780,
900, and is assessed at $3.50 900; the
B. A. & P. has property worth ST.
100000, he declared, and is assessed
at S~3,070,000, and the Milwaukee and
Burlington received substantial IA
vors also, Mr.. Ford asserted.
The holdings Of the Montana Pow
er company and the Great Falls Pow
er company, the speaker told his au-
dience, have an actual value of $780,
600 900, but it was fixed by the state
board at slightly more than $31,OOO,-
600, a reduction Of $1,000, 900 from
last years assessment.
Mr.. Ford said that the valuations
Of the several companies had been
arrived at by methods employed in
pIdCtjCdliS all vi CllC ololCo LII ANP-
resented fairly the actual worth OF
the property concerned, but that at
hearings conducted by the board, CUES
tions of law were raised and that il
deciding these the counsel of corpora.
ton lawyers was given preference
over the opinion Of the attorney gen
cral, making it possible for the as
~sessrnents as quoted by him to be
fixed instead of more equitable
amounts.
The speaker compared methods useo
in levying assessments against public
service corporations with those EN-
ployed in arriving at the values o:
farm land and livestock. In examining
the records of certain county assessors
said Mr.. Ford, it was found that ru
al real estate and cattle were valued
too low in different counties and tina
assessors responsible were called il
for conference. The result was, &C
cording to the speaker, that all prop
erty in these classes was consequent,
assessed although to do this it wa
necessary to order increases on Ian
from 5 to SO 1-3 per cent in some in
stances and on cattle from 5 to 10
per cent.
Only once during his address di
Mr.. Ford refer to politics. He sal
neal the conclusion of his remark
that the corporations have receive
and are now receiving too much con
sideration at the hands of the author
tiles who have the power to fix lev
les and that they would continue t
do so until the people elect more req
resentative officials.