The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-09-15

7 mistakes. To the end that they might
be corrected, they would choose that
| the more important Of them be msn-
| toned even on q congratulatory occa-
sion like this With the courage
| which was conspicuous trait in
their character TO assist a hazardous.
| hopeful industry they took upon them
selves a portion OF its burdens by alb
| solving it from its share Of taxation.
! When thus delivered the interest and
! amount involved was small but it has
| now grown to colossal proportions
! and Is one OF our choicest aud most
! remunerative resources. But the ad-
! vantage thus given has not been re-
! linQushed and what In its nature and
purpose was assigned to be temporary
| by the foreth0ught and adroitness OF
| greed has been taken from the do
main Of legislation and become IN
woven In constitutional enactment as
| a permanent policy Of the state II
! does not require wide knowledge of
human nature to discern that when
the ownership Of private property
does not carry with Il the equal bur
den which that ownership implies. a
disregard Of the sancttte5 Of titles Is
beg0tter. which may wreak abound in
mischief. Absolute equality Of tax
ation Of property IS primal essential
justice unless it is desired to cultivate
a superior cI.Iss to own the property
and a proIetrtat Of peasantry TO be
come their serfs The irony of the
situation is not beitttted by the fact
that the property 50 absolvod from
taxation in the nature OF things
makes dtsproportionate and increls-
ing demands on the money and so
Iicjtude of the commonwealth Mat
ters viii not assume a normal condt-
ton until a constitutional revision is
ordained that every piece Of property
not Of public ownership shall. accord
ing to It's value, bear It's equal burden
Of taxation. This ,eems too plain to
admit Of discussion.
Time 10 speak Arrives.
t'You naturally inquire why this unfair
system has been permitted to go unchai
ienged all these years You think it queer
that half million citizens Of Montana
would calmly. year after year. go on
carrying the burden of government in this
state. to the point of confiscatton of their
own homes. farms and business and per
NIT these over lords Of the mineral wealth
of Montana SO per cent Of the dividends
from which are paid and spent in New
York city and the other financial centeTs
Of this and foreign countries to continue
this fcudal system of taxation. l will
tell you, for the time has come to speak
plainly.
Like a Conquered Province.
"For years the larger public affairs OF
Montana have been administered on the
basis Of a conquered Roman province
through the control of practically all the
channels Of publicity In Montana. Why
these great annual expenditures of fab
ulous sums Of money in the ownership anc
subsidy oe great daily and some weeiIly)
newspapers In Montana? Why these great
sums invested n the nomination anc
election OF Legislative members? We are
sometimes prone to speak Of SCALED dom
ocratic and republican daily newspapers ii
this state.
HOW Propaganda Bureau Operates.
How many people In Montana know
that there is daily sent from one common
source, the democratic Helena 1ndepen.
dent. here In the capital city of Montana
the same bipartisan political news stories
TO
The Butte Niuer-labeIed Democratic.
The Billings Gazette-laba}ed Repub
IIcan.
The Livingston Enterprtsa-labeIet
Democratic
The Missoulian-labeled Republican
The Anaconda Standard-labeIed Dem.
ocratlc.
The Butte Post-Iabeed Republican.
Each day this bipartisan poItica
propaganda Is reproduced in those dem
ocrattc or republican daily newspapers. q.
the same may be locally labeled Basac
on these distorted facts. the day follow
ing will appear editorial comment in these
various editions Of the same common cen
trail control which the next day will bt
reprinted in the other papers. soiemnlJ
labeled as the editorial thought Of dstin
guished political newspaper opponents
Many Of the country weel1lies. with ne
other source Of news supply will Outlines
innocently follow suit. Thus 1t Is attempt
ed to be made to appear to the casua
reader that this is the real voice Of pub
lie opinion In Montana,
Some Newspapers Uncontrolled.
But the state IS to be congratulated
that there are some uncontrolled news
papers In Montana. both daily and weekly
that have had the moral courage to tel
the truth.
Tho greatest crime being perpetrateC
against the people Of a supposedly indie
pendent state is the uudercover methods
that have for these many years been en-
pIoyed. at great financial cost TO contro
the publicity Of Montana for one specific
purpose.
Welcomes the Challenge.
when l contemplate the thou
sands Of columns of personal abuse
and malicious Islander that these
larger company owned or subsi-
weekly satellites have exhausted
on my head. I am more amused
than disturbed.
ITO add to the chorus of this In
terlocktng press, they recently is
sued a broadside of $50, 900 copies
from The Helena Independent Of
flee. under the euphon1ous title Of
''The Democratic Club Circular"
filled with comparative costs of OPP
Grating the state government In
1919 Give years before I ever saw
the inside Of the governors office)
and 1921. The printing and dis
tribution of this last chrlstened