The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-02-06

Ford and State Auditor Porter, COM
prising a minority of the state board
of equalization, protested that the as
sessed valuation of S31 100000, placed
by the majority of the board on the
Anaconda company's subsidiary pow
er companies property, was made
quate. Attorney General Ford con-
tended that the figures on which the
companies should be assessed for tax
alton purposes should equal the fig
ures submitted by the power compa-
nies to the state public service COM
mission as means of securing their
authorized rates for service, which
valuations aggregated $80,000,000.
The matter was taken Into the
courts with the result that the equali-
zation board was ordered to reconvene
and revise upward it's assessment on
tine power companies property, as
reported by the Producers News last
week. The above meeting was the
result.
Through action of Governor Stew
art, Secretary Of State Stewart and
State Treasurer Hart, the boards ma
jority, the assessed valuation of the
companies property was increased
approximately $3,500,000, bringing the
total valuation placed on the property
to $34,5OO,O00. Attorney General Ford
and State Auditor Porter, comprising
the minority of the board, voted
against the majority's action and in
sisted that the increase should be ov-
er $49,000,OO0, thus bringing the to-
tai valuation to $S0,O0O,OOO.
1t was asserted by the attorney
general that the valuation as fixed
by the power companies on their
properties when they appeared be-
fore the public service commission to
have their rates for light, gas and
power service fixed, aggregated $780,
100000, but that when they appeared
before the equalization board in the
matter of fixing the amounts on which
they should be taxed by the people,
their figures had undergone a sharp
revision downward.
An interesting feature of the ac-
tions of the majority of the equaliza-
tion board in the matter was their re-
tention of Attorney John G. Brown, a
noted corporation attorney, as counsel
for "the people,"
H. L. Hart, who voted to allow the
power companies to escape taxation
on over $45,OO0,OOO valuation, had
previously announced his intention of
running as a delegate to the republi-
can national convention.
Helena, Feb. 3.-Members of the
state board! of equalization today SUBJ
mitted their report on assessments of
"intercounties properties" of the Mon
tana, Great Falls and Thompson Falls
Power companies to the supreme
court in compliance with the decision
and writ of mandate handed down
some time ago. The return included
request to the court for an order
approving their work and it also
shows the ALLEGATION of the increased
assessment for each of the lines of
the companies. The return was sign.
ed by GOV. S. v. STEWART. SECRE-
TARY OF STATE c. T. STEWART
AND STATE TREASURER H. L.
HART as individuals and as men,
bers of the board.
The return includes the minutes of
the last few meetings of the board in
a wealth Of details The board, in ar
irving at the value of intercounties
properties of the company in question,
determined the full and true cash
values of each company, subtracted
the values of local assessments and
the balance gave the intercounties
properties values, which were aided to
the previous assessments for each
line