Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-20
heritage of the future consumed
Must Have Ecoaonsy

While we must support and sustain
the federal government in the present
crisis, we must demand and secure the
| same economy from congress that we
| would demand from our own state and
local governments. Necessarily the era
Of high wages and individual spending
during the war passed away quickly
and the individual from necessity be-
came economical. He can now, there
fore, and with clean hands demand the
same economy from his government.
We cannot delegate the reduction OF
taxes to others. This is the respon-
sibility Of the individual The incidence
Of the tax lien for the 1922 property
taxes in Montana was at noon on the
9th instant-just three weeks ago.
How much the taxpayers will have to
pay this year to satisfy this lien de-
pends more upon them than upon any
one else. Not only our taxes, but our
public officials, have been and arc going
to be what the action of the people
officials should be.
stated that the total Of property taxes
levied in 1918 for state, county, school
and local purposes was $21 ,507, ,887.
Also that the total taxes levied in 1921
for the same purposes was So7, ,248,-
O56. / have heretofore taken the posi-
ton that because our population today
is no greater than it was in 1918 and
also because labor and other costs are
lower than they were in 1918, that we
should levy no greater aggregate sum
in taxes in Montana in 1922 than we
did in 1913. If we spend no more in
1922 than we spent in 1913, we will re-
duce state and local taxes more than
25 per cent for the current year below
the taxes Of last year.
How to Reduce Them
Taxes cannot be reduced by cutting
down valuations for assessment pur-
poses. Taxes in 1922 will be reduced
s. 10000 from 1921 to the basis Of
1913 II every taxing authority in the
state will this year make the levies
20 as to yield the same amount for each
fund that the 1918 levies produced
This reduction would be the equiva-
lent of more than SO saved for every
man, woman and child in the state.
tax rates are to be reduced to a point
where property can earn and pay its
taxes and return legitimate profit to
investors for their development of our
resources.
Before passing from the confisca-
ton of property under the guist of
taxation. ! wish to refer to a menace
that already has increased progressive
iy in our state and will continue uR-
less remedied. This is the abandon
ment of property for taxes. Two evils
must follow from this. The state will
lose its revenue from property so taken
and the demand for revenue will fall
lpon rapidly narrowing property base
evil, and perhaps a greater
evil. will be the feeling of resentment
in the minds Of citizens whose prop
erty is so taken and in the impairment
Of confidence and initiative that are
so essential to industrial and business
activity.
At this time, as assistant to the state
county treasurer to report the amount
Of delinquent taxes and the penalties
on same in his county. This data has
not yet been fully received and COM
pleted. Enough is apparent so that /
believe I am well within bounds in
saying that the consequences will be
startling, If not overwhelming.
An Extreme Instance
1 uikuI HuUIS 1EOu IlkuIcs ALREADY |
received in large detail I will. how
ever, satisfy myself with stating an
extreme instance. In one county the
.otal Of delinquent taxes is $412,361 go
This undoubtedly represents more than
81, 900, 900 Of property that it has be-
.ome necessary to take and sell for !
axes In that county. Probably nearly |
Ill of this was bid In By the county !
tself. When the penalties and interest
,hall have been added to the total of
he delinquent taxes in the above coun-
y. the total will exceed 100000.
Unless our taxes shall be quickly
md substantially reduced, there are
in this state that in order TO
'ecure revenue for themselves and to
maintain their schools, must increase
evies sufficiently to secure their rev.
.nue from the remaining taxable prop
.rty in the hands of individuals and
Every year that this
lamnabfo practice is persisted In will
witness further abandonment of prop
.rty for taxation and a continued ac-