Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-22

piOoCHt pOitttSdt CoIhPns9h WI
vention of minina men of this state
was held at Butte on Thursday,
Oct. IL. 1922. The meeting was
held under the auspices of the
Montana Mining ASSOCIATION, which
has a membership of over $500,
made up of representative owners
and operators. AS a result of the
action of the convention, the fol-
lowing munication to the pubic
has been prepared and Is sent our
by the observation-disclosures S.
MuffIy, president.)
TO THE PEOPLE OF MONTANA:
Ever since the mining industry of
Montana developed to large magnitude,
If has been an object of attack by the
demagogue and politician seeking to
appeal to the prejudice of the un-
informed.
Under these assaults the industry
has been patient, c%ontenting itself with
/, frankly and fully presenting to every
responsible inquirer, all facts regarding
it's operations, as they apply to labor,
tax payments and other phases OF the
business. In most cases the characters
of the assailants. and their paipapie
natives were sufficient refutation in
themselves.
But OF late Ine SoNtlhOi 80
state. instead of lending the assistance
nf bie great office to industrial and
husiness reconstruction, instead OF
bringing each section and each INDUS
trv in the state in closer touch WIN
each other, in order that all may De
mutually helpful. and instead or bend5
inc HIS energies toward practlclng ana
preaching economy in public Office, that
Tho heavy tax burdens of all may pc
nroperly lightened, has gone about the
state. and by speeches composed VI
untruths, half truths and unfair com
narisons. sought to arouse Ill feenhg
and nreiudice against the mining IN
dustry.
pe has done this particularly among
those engaged in agricultural pursuits.
AS n result, those responsible Tor
carving on the mining industry beilevgg
the nublic should be given the actual
facts. realizing that the great majority
Of the neopIe of this state, whatever
their cajlings. have no desire to render
ANYTHING but fair treatment TO every
one. We are confident that II they
know the facts, the verdict VIII De JUST.
In speeches made by GoFeIhoI
Dixon at various places IN the STATE
during the summer and ran: ne mas
nurnorted to give in detail, facts and
figures showing that the mining IN
d1strv has largely failed in contrlbut-
inc IFS lust proportion Of state tax
alton.
Dixon Facts and Comparisons
For nurpose of comparison, as
showing taxes paid by the agricultural
interests. including livestock. the gov,
ernor pretends to quote from otflcial
figures found in the office of the
stete hoard of equalization, and also
gives the same source OF
as to alleged facts regarding the mining
industry.
The fiqures which MIR. Dixon uses
ara not from the records Of the stare
board of equalization, or any o1hef
record of the state of Montana.
The bulletin of the United states
department of agriculture gives tht
total number of acres of farm and
aro1;na lands in the state Of Montana
FOR the wear 1920, as 35.07O,656 acres
xalued at 1901. 912.265.00, or an aver
age value of S19.73 per acre. These
lands were assessed for he year III
at an average value per acre OF $l5.4o
These farm and grazing lands, as
sessed on an average Of Sl3.46 pei
acre in 1921 go per cent of this
amount being taken for the purpose o.
tax ~levies), were assessed at a SUD
stantially lower figure, about ~ PEI
cent on the average, in 1922, but tnis
the goyernor carefully omits to stare.
Faulty Classification
No justification for the governors
figures can be found in the records OF
the state board of equalization. The
records there show that 81 counties
have endeavored to sever agricultural
lands from timber lands and other
acreage property, outside of plated lots
IN towns and cities; % counties make
no attempt to segregate whatever, and
in the 81 where such attempt is made,
1t is only partial.
The governor calmly takes the total
assessment on all lands, with improve
mepts thereon, outside of towns and
cities. and makes a few comparatively
small, arbitrary deductions and calmly
credits the balance as assessed value
Of lands Of the farming and livestock
industries as assessed and taxed.
To thus increase the tax property oil
these industries beyond what the facts
Justify. and so belittle the tax situa'
tion of the mining industry, he In
cludes. in the total credited to the ag
r;cultural and livestock industries, 6
larger part of the value Of the mills
lands of the state, with sawmills, plan
ing mills and other improvements, {
large part or tne NortneFn IacilI'
lands. q large part of the coal mine:
OF the state, with all of the tipples ant
other buildings and improvement
thereon, a large. part of the power sites
dams and hydro-electric plants, thu
larger part of the avlue OF the mills
concentrators and smelters of the min,
ing companies themselves, including thu
smelters at East Helena and else
where; flour mills, most Of the brewer
les, hot springs, slaughter houses
packing plants. cement plants and othel
Industrial lands and plants in the state
not located within the boundaries of in
corporated cities or towns.
1t is bad enough to distort tn
records by enormously crediting tn
property of other industries, but TIL
climax is reached when the mining In
dustry is deprived of a very large per
centage of the value Of Its tayahIe prop
erty, which taken from it, fl added t
the property of tho Industries wit