The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-04-23
PEOPLE TO HAVE OPPORTUNITY
TO CHANGE PRESENT
UNFAIR TAX LAW
lContinued from Page 81

continued from Page 81
states have long since repealed the c
unfair provision except Nevada ana
Idaho.
Under the presents Arizona tax
law, mines are assessed at four times {
the value of net proceeds, plus one +!
eighth of the total value of the j
gross proceeds. /
Michigan taxes its copper mines !;
on the full cash value, the same as
al other forms of wealth. 5:
New Mexico on the full net value
Of the ore, with no deduction fof
milling, smelling, transportation, re-
pairs or depreciation Of smelters or
selling expense.
IN Montana all these deductions
are made from the value of the ore.
Same for AII-NO More No Less
"The one express purpose of the
bill which it is now proposed to I'M
tiate by petition and submit to the
voters of Montana in November is
not to increase taxation, but to equal
ize the burden between agriculture,
business and mining so that eacn
form of property shall bear its same
propOrtion-no more and no less.
During the last two legislative
sessions attempts were made to bring
about an equal distribution of the
tax burden on all forms of wealth
in Montana. Until that time coal
mines and oil wells were only taxed
upon net proceeds plus surface i'm
p~rovements. The coal mines of Mon
tana during the year 1920 produced
about S 5000, 900 of wealth, which,
under the met proceeds provisIo 1
turned into the state treasury about
800 for that year. In 1921, the
e legislature did pass a license tax for
> the coal mines of five cents per ton,
I which last year yielded to the state
treasury S163,165, and to that extent
did lift that much burden Of taxa
tion from the farms, homes and othel
business interests of the state.
ON 1928, after a long fought bat
tie, a license tax of 2 per cent wa.
ID levied on the oil production of tn.
= state. The first years operation O
y the 2 per cent gross license tax o.
oil yielded $60,119 in revenue to tn
$, state, and to that extent lifts tn.
= burden from the farms, livestock
ID and other business interests Of Mon
tana.
J., AT the legislative session, a meta
mines license tax bill of l per cen
+. gross passed the house, but was de
It feated in the state se~ate throug.
the pressure brought to bear by tn
great mining corporations.
- at is now PROPOSED to enact tn
n 1 per cent gross license +. IN met
l. alliferous mine production by direc
vote of the people themselves. Bas
a Il ed on the 1928 production, an add
Is tional revenue Of about 100000 WI
d. be raised.
D., "Under the terms Of the bill. or
ne half of this will 60 direct to Il
Of state treasury, the other half to Il
OIL public schools. In this way, ever
child Of school age, wherever locc
o ed. will receive direct benefit fro
'er the enactment of the law. An add
ia tional $3.50 ,OO0 each year will 9
ito to the support of the public schoo
IN and to that extent will lift the bu
bis den of school taxation. Last We;
about 200 public schools in MontaT
iff failed to open their doors on accoul
Of lack of revenue to pay the teac
ers.
u viii Not Discourage D%elevOpmen
Under the provisions Of the pr
posed law, all mines with a year
gross production of less than o
NJ hundred thousand dollars are exeml
of No hardships can be worked on t
ks, p~rospector or small mine owner,
it is only when production reach
&c $500, 600 annually that the l per &c
-.
tax is levied.
set- How Present System Works
Owe a few weeks ago one OF
smaller mines of Butte-the DaV
me. Dalv-was taken over by the Al
ma. conda Mining company. The pure
Oh ase price was 100000.
anu .Tfe total assessed value of
the Davis-Daly for 1921
and "a
ing No net proceeds shown for Il
ees,
1ote year.
to THE amount Of taxes paid
ted, that year on tnis mine vas J.
list No net proceeds shown for {
the year.