Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-02-26

THE INCOME TAX

w advocated by Governor Dix
on came out of committee some
weeks ago The Tribune said that
the state income tax was open to
serious criticism. This tax as pro-
posed at first was a progressive
one starting at one per cent and 60
ing up to six per cent. The bill
was printed and has been a bone
of contention ever since. The MEM
beers Of the house who are inclined
70 eat the whole Dixon tax menu,
whether they like all Of the courses
or not, have been pushing the in
come tax in one way or another,
while those who will not do every
thing Mr.. Dixon says regardless,
along with others who think that
Montana cannot rightfully use this
tax under conditions as they are in
this state today, have been trying
to eliminate this revenue bill alto
gether. After all Of this pulling
and hauling, in committee and out,
the house Thursday adopted mi
nority report which amended the
bill 50 as to eliminate the gradu-
ated scale and substituted flat
one per cent tax upon all incomes
subject to the exemptions provided
in the original bill.
An income tax at this time in
Montana, imposed on top Of what
Uncle Sam is pulling down, is the
least to be desired of all of the
measures proposed by Mr.. Dixon
and his ardent followers. Indus
try in the state is in bad shape.
There is a limit to what the min
ing companies can stand at this
moment. 1t is proposed to tax the
mines IL per cent upon their net
proceeds to get additional revenue.
What will the mines do if other
taxes are put on top of the one to
tax their net proceeds7 Just to
illustrate. The grief and difficulty
in the metal producing industries
and the predieament Of the
woolsrower in this state are
not 90 different. We are told that
copper, for instance, is being mined
At loss, and that it may take two
years to sell supplies that have al
ready been piled up. The informa-
ton Is that there is also a twenty
four months supply of wool unsold.
Buyers Of both copper and wool
are hard to find. Who would think
Of rising up in the Montana legis-
lature to propose several additional
taxes upon the Montana wool
grower7
Then again the legislature
hasn't heard the last Of what Rep
resentative Scharnikow said. Leg
islative effort so far has been d.
rected at least IS per cent to in
creasing revenues and per cent to
decreasing expenses. The repre-
sentative from Powell county
didn't use these percentage figures
but the tenor Of his remarks does
not indicate that he would object
to them. Many people who e
wishing the state government sue
cess are surely asking these ques-
lions: Will the Dixonites raise and
spend more money than it has been
costing to run the state govern
ment2 Il there to be economy any
where2 ....
House bill 16l had stormy time
in the house even if it did have
plenty of votes in its changed form.
What will happen over in the sen
ate remains to be seen. There is
not much in the argument that ev-
cry revenue bill has to pass be-
cause it is an administration meas
ure. It will surely be just as we'll
to let each proposal stand upon its
own merit and the positive neces-
sites for income to carry on the
state government.
THE GIFT OF CORN
l