Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-20
and about half BY the obligations OF tn
federal government,
Returns Arc Large

4 L
federal government.
Returns Arc Large
Further, Congressman McFadder
stated that the wealthy investor, be.
cause of the taxes then imposed, receiv.
ed as much net return from the s ne,
cent tax exempt bonds included above
as from the taxable industrial invest.
ments paying over II per cent. As few
industrial investments guarantee any
thing like II per cent and over, pres
ent taxation is q serious handicaap In
keeping capital out Of its natural chan.
nels. This handicap must be termin-
ated. Montana, having greater natural
resources than any other state finds
itself producing less. 1t therefore, be-
hooves every Montanan to do his part
to put our own house in order il we
would have returned to US our rightful
share of that money for our develop
ment that Is now withheld in that $14,-
425, 100000 Of -exempts.
| Who is there that is without faith
| in Montana? Not he who knows her
history Of go years. That history is
In far less than 80 years the Montana
pioneers converted an uninhabited tract
of mountain, plain and forest into a
great commonwealth. We became one
in the proud sisterhood of states in
1889. Without substantial inroads into
or exhaustion of our vast resources
the value Of our property today when
expressed in terms of money should
be in the neighborhood of two and one
half billion dollars. Montana gained In
new or added permanent wealth an av-
erage Of 40 million dollars for every
one of the 60 years last past This was
a gain of more than 100000 for every
day.
Has Great Future
What Montana has done, Montana
can do and will do again and again.
My vision of the Montana of tomor-
row is that Of great, rich, prosperous
and happy commonwealth to which this
present and glorious history will then
hold no comparison.
Such is my faith in Montana. Be-
cause of it am not afraid to tell you
something of our recent heavy tax
levies and great spending performances.
This may interest and enlist your un-
divided assistance as well as that of
other Montanans in the establishment
and administration of economical gov
ernment, public accounting and spend
ing, aud Of Just and equitable system
of taxation. The full rehabilitation. ad-
vancement and prestige of Montana
must wait on this consummation. Your
duty. my duty, the duty of every Mon
tanan in this is, not collective but in
dividual. We are a democracy, not
bureaucracy. In most things, each can
do better for himself than can any or
all of the present endless and unneces-
sary commissions, boards, bureaus and
public officials.
Even though we have proven our
ability to create and lay by us in store
such enormous wealth, it will be but
woe if Montana persists in or increases
the present oppressive taxes to meet
future unbridled and ill-advised public
expenditures. Instead for while at
least, Montana must spend very much
less than she has done in the i'm
mediate past il she shall soon enjoy
her full heritage and prosperity.
Tax Levy Comparison
1t seems necessary to quote and talk
briefly in figures. / shall try to avoid
being tedious. The taxes levied only
on property in Montana for state and
10 vi purposes in such years as are
av> Nable at this time have been as
follows:
Percentage