Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-09-20

be of interest as it presents quits
clearly some Of the major demands
for money required to operate our
complex state government. 1t really
is not surprise, after giving Ia
matter careful consideration, that our
taxes are high.--Editor's Note.
The letter follows:
"Your letter Of July 81, addressed
to Duncan McRse, and listing eleven
different kinds Of taxes to which youx
corporation is subjected, is before ne
for reply. You make inquiry ~ 70
whether any Of the state officers havu
ever stopped to consider how much It
costs an individual or company to do
business in Montana.
May first say that state Official
are just ordinary human beings lin
yourself. Their tenure Of official life
is temporary. Most Of them wers g.
gagged in some kind Of business befo1u
they became state officials, many a
them are still trying to carry IL
same business and assume that I'll
Of them hope to be In some kind II
business after their terms expire
State officials pay taxes just ths sans
AZ other individuals. From Z maAsr-
ial standpoint, they are just ~ -
interest in keeping these taxes dpwn.
although not always credited wieA
such an ambition.
Possibly when we stop to think, =
will dawn upon us that we are -
and all the victims Of the most highly
complicated, thoroughly systsmatinp1
and most expensive governmental -
ssnixation that this countFy has svor
sssn. Ths sitsetisA grows esus1nn11v
more intricate and more costly, -
as constantly demands heavier TN
burden for the very simple reaasn
that we sll. A members Of IL pahlle
and not ~ state officials, svsr -
ever demand = greater measure II
service at the hands Of the state.
"All Of US want goods roads. We
like to drive automobiles forty miles
an hour. We all want schools to
which we can send our children. Ths
little log school house with one teach
err for four months in the year no
longer meets your demand or nina
We want our children to have nine ~
ten months schooling, with janitur
to start the fires and taxi driver b
transport them to and from home Az
ter they have been dragged through
school we want them to haye an op-
portunity for a college education and
we provide colleges. Second rate in
stitutions, such as you and / attended
twenty-five years ago, are not good
enough for our children. We want the
best and we have it.
"Then we must have parks and play
grounds, maintained at public ex-
pense. We employ athletic instructors
and gymnasium teachers and football
coaches on salary. We think it nee
sssary to examine the babies, treat
the children, and supervise the health
If the grownups by well-paid medical
at public expense.
La nxx1 rxr{,r- <f1r
ion, which means thousands upon
thousands of dollars for penal insti-
,utions, corrective institutions, domi-
lies for wayward women, homes for
delinquent girls and reformatories for
,oys. On top Of this, state and na-
ional safety demands the mainten-
lnce of national guard.
"Then we want widows pensions
md pensions for aged and INDECENT
eachers. A movement toward gen
raj old age pension scheme has been
and it will be part of
ur legal system in due time, not be-
ause of pressure brought by the stats
fficials, but because the public de-
nands it. Following that, we viii
robably devolve some method Of
ensions for mothers, bonuses for b.
les and public insurance against sick
ess.
"We respect and revere our Old
Dldiers. A pension and home IN
-hich they may spend their declining
ears is not too good for them. 1hc
eterans Of the late war demand vo-
.tionaI training and the public agrees
,at their demand il iust. The un-
Icky devil who works hah miae ~
Brground In the hsat - - - -
,pper mine il entitled to - ou
~