Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-02-17


ion of such a roll in Lewis and Clark
county had resulted i'll the addition Of
! S3O00.OO0 in assessments. This he
would substitute for the publication of
the delinquent tax list.
Cummings Talks School Tax
Prof. l.. Cummings. of Lewistown.
spoke on Taxation for Education"
in which he devoted much of his talk
to an attack upon the Anaconda Cop
per company and its methods. He said
ically wrong and that the remedy is
in three taxing units, the county. state
and federal government and held the
| state should contribute at least one
| third of the cost of ELEMENTARY and high
| schools.
He suggested income and Inheritance
taxes and the rewriting Of the article
| of the constitution on education. so as
to remove state and county superin
tendents from political influences.
Arthur Fisher got the floor to demand
! freedom of instruction, reviewed the
Prof. Levine case and proceeded to
offer for sale Levine's work on mine
taxation at 25 cents per copy, station
ing himself at the door. where he ped
died the books to the delegates.
Bourquin Attacks A. C. NJ.
During the afternoon session, George
Bourquin, county attorney of Silver
Bow county, was given the floor and
proceeded to bitterly assail the Ana
conda company. He also took to task
the state board Of equalization for its
action in the cases Of the Elm Orlu
Mining company, w. A. Clark, Jr., C.
f. Kelley and John D. Ryan. He said
that what was needed is not more laws
but the taxing Of all property. suggest
ed the enforcement of the present laws
and the repeating of half of them. He
charged officers with lax enforcement
and held that if all the property was
taxed which had escaped assessment,
there would be plenty Of money to
meet expenses without the necessity of
bond issues.
J. III. Underwood. professor OF eco
nomics at the state university. spoke
in favor Of tax commission, for the
scientific equalization of taxes to avoid
fraud in the evasion Of assessment, and
defended Missoula's commission form.
White Tells Of Tight Conditions
Frank j. Woody of Missoula spoke at
length upon the defects of the state tax
laws, and also took occasion to defend
the Missoula government, which had
been condemned by Frank J. Edwards
B. G. White of Fergus county told
Of having visited 13 counties in the
past 20 days and of having ascertained
that only one was in good finances;
four were in fair condition and that he
did not know how the rest were going
to pay the interest on their bonds. He
told them they were not going to have
better government, if they continued
to ''let George do it.
He said in spite of the fact that the
state has payroll of 1000 persons.
most Of the taxes 60 to the counties
and school districts. He said the
state payroll could well be cut in two, /
and he recommended that there be
sent men to the legislature who can
say No, and not men who want job !
or a fat salary or who want to smile at |
the beautiful photographers in the cap !
itol.
Arthur Fisher again obtained the
floor. which led 3. c. White to object |
and to ask. is he taxpayer? II not, |
he should not be given the floor
The report of the credentials COM |
mittee showed 90 delegates in attend
ance from all parts of the state. /
Preamble of Aims
The report on constitution and rec
concentrations by the committee ON
permanent organization, which was
adopted with no changes and with no /
opposition other than that of B. c. |
White. opened with the following pre-
amble: /
I'VE. the undersigned economic or
ganizations and taxpayers Of Montana,
in order to discourage extravaganza
and incompetency in the administra-
tion of public affairs, to encourage
honesty, economy and efficiency in our
public officials. thereby reducing the
burden of taxation now resting on the
people, to advocate and bring about
such changes in our organic law, as
well as in our statutory enactments
creating our present tax systems. as
will better meet the ends Of justice. to
ascertain, marshal and digest the facts
pertaining to the assessment, collec-
tion and disbursement Of taxes and to
give the same to the public, that the
individual taxpayer may think clearly
and act intelligently ON matters per-
tanning to public affairs. do hereby
lCongnucd ON PaDs Eleven.,