Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-27
C0WLEY SCORES
PUBLIC WASTE
BEFORE ROTARY

Great Falls Attorney elves
il Forceful Address at Wed
nesday's Luncheon.
| At the luncheon Of the Rotary club
at Hotel Rainbow Wednesday there
twas pleasing program Of music and
recitations, and an Illuminating speech
by Attorney Stephen j. Cowley. Two
vocal selections were given by Alice
Calvert Bell, with Mrs. V. Y. Lopel
at the piano. This was followed by
two recitations by Miss Margaret
Brown.
The address by Stephen J. Cowley
was unique in its conception and force.
full in its conclusions. Mr.. Cowley said
that he was not giving his informal
talk in behalf of any tax association. In
fact, his opinion was that, while the
purposes of such organizations were
entirely good. in accomplishment, they
were not arriving at any important end.
The speaker said that he wished to
advance some reasons for our heavy
burdens of taxation which were the
result of personal observation.
NontaxabIe Securities Blamed
The greatest cause of the present
load of taxation comes out of ill adj
vised legislation-nnd Mr.. Cowley went
on to illustrate-a chief reason for
our troubles is the issue by the govern
ment of nontaxable securities. There
by the great wealth of the nation is
diverted from commerce and business
and usual investments. The rich men
OF the United States are able to place
| their surplus wealth in these non
productive investments which escape
been allowed to issue these securities,
there would not have been such a
scarcity of money for the purchase Of
state and county and municipal bonds,
and we would not have had so much
trouble last year and the year before
along this line.
Virtually every piece of legislation
costs money. We are spending some
thing like four million dollars year
for free seeds which nearly everyone
agrees do not secure beneficial re-
suits. This is an instance where tax
burden is created by misgovernment
and extravaganza.
Doubts Wisdom of Soldiers Bonus
The present suggested bonus for the
soldiers may be a desirable thing, if
we have the money to pay it. 1t is
surely wholesome to take care Of all of
those soldiers who were injured or who
suffered in any way outside of the time
used in the service.
But" declared the speaker, ''the |
incuring of danger in behalf Of ones |
country is the privilege and the legacy |
of every American. If this legislation (
finally passes, it will perhaps add 10 |
per cent to our tax burdens provided |
the estimate may rest upon present
income tax returns
Too Much Legislation |
Turning to the state of Montana. our
laws were originally based upon those |
of New York, Iowa and California. The |
statutes of these states were a heritage ,
for us, yet each legislature enacts |
new laws which fill volume of 500 or
800 pages and almost everyone of them |
costs money. 1t would be a blessing if |
our legislatures for the next Is or 20 |
years would do nothing except pass
appropriation measures whereby our
state government may operate and de- |
vote the rest of the time to repeating /
laws.
Another illustration: There are hum
dreds of prisoners in our state peni- |
Tertiary and it is hallucination which !
we ought to get rid of that giving |
them reasonable employment would do |
any damage to commerce or business
or labor.
Turning to the county. the speaker /
said he had notion that the present |
primary law was one of the chief bur-
dens of taxation He said that in a
recent election, it cost more than
S4.SO for each elector to cast his vote
an exhorbitant expense.
He had notion also that the work
of county auditor in the counties Of
Montana was a duplication of work be-
cause the bills in any event are passed
upon by the county commissioners and
all of this work could be done in the |.
office of the county clerk and record
er. who is the clerical executive and
who does the work of this kind for the
county board.
Another instance: We are support
ing few people in the county poor
house and assisting hundreds of others
scattered around in different places.
\ great saving could be made if all of
this charity could be dispensed at a
central place.
Finally Mr.. Cowley called attention
to the fact that in the counties of
Montana between the year 1914 and
1921. expenses of government had in
145@per cent There has been
no such percentage of Improvement in
efficiency. said the speaker.
lnefficiency in Government Il
We sold bonds for bridge amount
ing to $4,000, 35 years ago. The
bridge is gone, but We are still carrv-
ing the Indebtedness. There is no sink.
ing fund. We purchased Sun River park
30 years ago for $4,000. The bonds
have not been paid. SO the two chief
causes of high taxation are i'll advised
legislation and inefficiency in the car
rying on of routine government.
The entire Rotary program was given
generous applause. II