The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-07-28
CO. ASSESSORS
HAVE MEETING
AT GLASGOW
ASSESSOR COTTRELL HOST TO
NORTHERN MONTANA
.... ASSESSORS
Comparison of County Totals Shows
That Real Estate and Live Stock
Assessments are Lower Than Last
Year.

Assessments are Lower Than Last
Year.
Glasgow, July 21.-County asses
sors from the counties of Roosevelt,
Daniel, Blaine, Chouteau, Richland,
Hill, Fergus, Sheridan, Phillips, Lib
erty, Wheatland and Valley met in
the court room at Glasgow last Fri
day to discuss tax problems and
equalization of assessment in the diff
ferent counties.
B. Fl. Cottrell, Of this county, was
elected chairman of the meeting and
Ross Elwell, Of Chouteau county, sec
retary. Nels Hougen, nationally
known tax expert of Wisconsin, was
present and made suggestions on how
to overcome some of the most i'm
portant evils facing the average coun-
ty assessor and county boards of
equalization.
| A comparison of the assessments
made in the different counties show
ed that in all of the counties repre-
sented heavy cut had been made in
the assessments on real estate and
livestock, the members present all
agreeing that the assessment on real
estate and livestock has been too
high during the past years. The as
SCISSORS claim that the agricultural
counties have all been over assessed
and it was with the idea to remedying
this that a heavy cut was made in
values.
Charles E. Wickland, representing
the state board of equalization, met
with the assessors and addressed them
| on the equalization problems which
| the state board. has to face.
Before adjourning the assessors. in
order to get their views properly be-
fore the state board of equalization,
passed the following resolution:
.s@ he idersigned assessor of sey-
eral counties in the northern part of
the state, having met for general con-
ference and advice, recognize the diff
ficulties of meeting the demands of
justice and equity in distributing the
burdens of taxation among the diff
ferent taxpayers, individuals and
classes Of property common to the
state of Montana. The northern coun-
i, ties of the state have, we believe,
suffered more from drouth and crop
failures during recent years than
have other sections. The result has
been greater decline in the value
of lands than in the remainder of
the state. Still these counties have
maintained the old ratio to the state
total resulting in an undue burden of
taxation falling ito their lot. It ap-
pears from statistics gathered that
farm lands, livestock, city real estate
and merchandise are paying more
than their share Of the taxes levied
compared with such items of proper
ty as intangible wealth, natural re-
sources and mining properties. The
statistics tend to show that agricul-
ture and livestock produce 56 per cent
OF the wealth of the state and pay
Alb per cent of the taxes. while the
mining industry produces 80 per cent
of the wealth and pays only 3.9 per
cent of the taxes; whereas if it were
to pay taxes on par with farming
and livestock, it should pay SO per
cent instead of 80 per cent of the
taxes. 1t also is demonstrated to our
satisfaction that intangible wealth
owned largely in the cities is not
reached under present methods of
taxation.
Being engaged in the difficult work
of making assessments required by
law to be made at the full value of
each class of property assessed by US,
we, perhaps more than citizens gen
orally, realize the difficulties present
ing themselves not only to the coun-
ty assessors but to the county boards
of equalization and the state board of
equalization as we'll. The state board
Of equalization consists of five elective
officers whose first duties are to at
tend to the work of their several de-
partments. The state equalization
becomes mere incident to such du-
ties to be taken up and administered
during period beginning with the
meeting of the board on the fourth
Monday in July. The first duty of
such board prescribed by statute is
to equalize the values of the taxable
property in the different counties.
We respectfully appeal to the state
board to take up the matter of equal
ization between counties which will to
a create exrtent relieve these north
ern counties from that discrimination
under which we believe they labor at
present. If that be done in the man
ner required by law, each county will
pay only it's share of state taxes. We
further realize the great difficulty
presented to the board in equalizing
values of property within county.
Il there be discrimination between in
dividuals within a county, the parties
complaining cannot afford to travel
hundreds of miles to reach the state
board of equalization at Helena and
present their grievances while those
living in the neighborhood of the
state capital can have their grievances
adjusted by personal appearance.
The matter of taxation in order to