Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-16
PROBE Of HIGHWAY
CONTINUED From Page one)

NoON XIX OHG} &
the operation of the proposed new
method"
Mitchell Reelected
II. b. Mitchell Of Great Falls and
j. NJ. Hamilton of Bozeman were re-
elected president and vice president
respectively, and they with G. C. Con-
ser of Pleyna, w. s. Mccormack of
kalispell and T. S. Hogan of Billings,
constitute the executive committee
which viii later select a secretary.
Miss May Trumper, state superin-
tendent of public instruction, was the
first speaker Friday morning, and she
addressed the meeting principally upon
the subject of the county unit plan,
which had been under fire at the hands
of other speakers on Thursday. Her
financial condition of most Of the school
districts of the state, and she said that
already many schools are closing and
hundreds have money sufficient only for
three months of school. Some dis
tricts have their entire revenues for
the present year covered by registered
warrants issued last year, she said.
Schools Called Inadequate
Miss Trumper said that last year
1.500 Montana children had no school
ing. 5000 had less than four months
schooling and 10000 had short terms.
She claimed that school trustees and
clerks who have dipped into school
funds are opposed to county units and
that corporations are opposed to 1T
because it will increase their taxes.
She claimed there had been a misuse
| of school moneys in that there were 236
| schools in the state with enroilments
of less than five pupils, some of them
as low as one pupil, and held that the
present district plan of distribution of
school money had certainly broken
| down.
When called upon. E. A. McCrary,
tax commissioner for the Northern
Pacific. agreed with Miss Trumper that
railroad taxes should be distributed
all over the state instead of being
confined to the districts in which rail
road property is located. but he said
be was not satisfied that county unit
stops extravaganza in school admins
t~ration.
A Carson county man said the sys-
tenn had resulted in the destruction of
community interest and pride IN that
county while another said every man
in the county was opposed to the plan.
What Carbon County Did
". J.. Hopper spoke upon the
subject of how Carbon county has re-
dueed expenses through the formation
of an association which has investi-
gated affairs and had taken the matter
into the district court which ascertain
ed that many of the public officials
had never taken occasion to learn just
what were their duties. As the result
| Of Tim n1rtr of fha ,esnnsa+.a, Ttarb.,,i
county operated for $4,000 less than
last year. We "a TO put a stop to
official recklessness" said he. and de-
mand that Officials be as careful as
they would be in spending their own
money
A. c. Anderson, assessor of Still
water county, told of the operation of
the honor system in the assessment
of property in his county. He said he
took this years assessment with the
help of one deputy part of the year
aud the expenditure of 500 in postage.
He claimed he had no trouble in get
ting returns and that publicity brings
! all taxpayers out 81 the woods.
Frank q. Woody, of Helena. talked
on what the coming legislature will do
towards reforming the tax laws. in
which he covered the subjects of tax
commission. inheritance law, income
tax, repeal of the county budget law
and enactment Of 4 comprehensive
budget measure. amending the law re-
lating to the issuance of bonds and
the providing of ieyies for interest and
payment Of principal. and changes in
the constitutional provisions bearing on
taxation either by amendment or con-
stitutional convention in order to get
at intangible property.
Arthur riShnr uFartn3 - I-por- ,rbr
he had not mentioned a tonnage tax
on copper and Woody replied this could
not be done without Il constitutional
amendment.
A. C. M. Man Speaks
y. VI. Kelly, counsel for the Ana
conda company. spoke upon taxation
problems" in which he defended his
company from the attacks which had
been made upon it during the recent
political campaign. He said that in 1921
when the mines were shut down the
Anaconda company lost Sl6.00O.0W
and was assessed $50. lob ,020 upon it's
property. II paid over $500, 600 in taxes
and had to borrow money to do it. He
strongly condemned the method of gov
eminent under which the people have
been living for the past 10 or Is years.
attacked the creatieE of boards and
Jul edaS aHd the BlpiUSHeht OF Ihe
scores of inspectors and supervisors
which are regulating people and insti-
tutions of all classes.
Mr.. Kelly denounced the idea of
turning oyer to a central authority in
Helena the control of the schools and
quoted figures TO show the great in
crease in costs of various departments
and boards Of the state government.
In 1920, he said, boards and bureaus
of Montana cost the state S2,0S2.S6
and this figure Increased in 1929 to
Sa,213,a59 and claimed that the gov
eminent is drifting into the same bu-
reaueratic conditions which in Ger
many caused the recent war. He also
bitterly criticised the state highway
department.
Fisher Takes Exception
Arthur Fisher took exception to
some of the things Mr.. Kelly had said
regarding mine taxation. intimating
that the company was able to juggle
its figures s 10 rs TO escape taxation
and claiming the big salaries of It's
higher officials were deducted from its
returns on net proceeds.
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