The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-09-17

ihostu over INTO The republican column
IN the recent primary. In their attempt
10 control the republican as they did
the democratic nominations, the repub-
ican colors stlll float In Moagana
undefiled by corporate control. and
the overwhelming majority Of the rank
and file who are fighting under that
hannef now calmly await the last des-
perate assault of The Anaconda on
November 18th. militant and unafrald.
Two and four years ago. | pointed
out TO the Legislature that the people
who used the roads should pay for the
building and maintaInenee of them.
That this could only be done by the
adoption Of the 2 cent gasoline tax.
Every dollar Of this gasoline revenue
should go to the road construction In
Montana. Unfortunately. under the
desperate financial situation confront
Ing the states revenues. the Legisla-
tnre thought It best to divert 40 per
cent of the money into the general
fund.
In all fairness to the automobile
owners. who are vitally interested in
good roads, this system Is wrong.
When the metals mines tax becomes
a law In November. one-half of the
proceeds, about $4,000 per year. will
go to the public school fund 10 help
lift the burden of taxation from hos es
and farms and business property, the
other one-half into the general fund
of the state. This S250,000 will offset
the present 40 per cent receipts from
the gasoline tax, so that all of 1t can
go directly to the building of roads and
permitting the state TO match the fed
ernl road money that will otherwise be
lost to Montann's road program. I'M
less this Is done at the coming legIsla-
tive session. Montana will surely lose
In the future more than one million a
year OF the federal road money which
must be matched dollar for dollar In
order to be available.
State Within Income
In conclusion. permit me to say that
Notwithstanding all these deliberately
unfair and untruthful newspaper state
ments and political advertisements.
signed by democratic candidates, but
paid for by the Anaconda, the state
treasury Inst year. for the first time
since 1918 closed the books with Il
credit balance of $22087 TO the good
between income and expenditures.
The preliminary battle of the 1924
republican state campaign was won
last week In the face perhaps Of the
greatest expenditure of money and men
ever made by The Anaconda for the
control of both party organizations In
this state. The newspaper and poster
advertising campaign alone put on for
their two picked candidates for Gov
ernor cost not less than $4,000 II Is
known TO all men that the employees
at The Anaconda Shelter and the
Butte mines were called In and given
their political orders. Every local
manager of the great Power Company.
which today through court Injunction
Is Withholding S4Sa.000 in just taxes
due the state, was laid off for 20 days
prior to the recent primary with an
unlimited political cash account for
use In the primary election The local
managers of the Anaconda lumber
camps and affiliated mercantile inter-
ests In western Montana called In their
I employees under similar orders
Nearly every newspaper. big and little,
/ in the state carried big paid political
! advertisements Of their picked guher-
natorial candidates. filled with DELHI
crate nntruthfuI statements regarding
state finances. These paid advertise
mpnts we're prepared by and paid for
hy tie a~ents Of The Anaconda and
Mnnana Power Companies
While The grand assault TINS 4 li~-
cred by The oh0rtS o. special privilege
id succeed IN capturing the major Pos
it.ons IN tile democratic primaries the
republican line held firm and bent
back the assanlting columns in route
and disastrous retreat.
In conclusion. and speaking person
ally | think II Is only fair 70 say that
solely hecanse have tried to point ont
10 the people Of Montana the present
unjust, negotiable and vicious dual
system OF taxation that has heen ma n
tanned all these years through the
political control Of legislatures and
state government, 1t kas fallen to my
lot ~ hear the daily assaults by these
paid agents of special privilege.
While these things have ut times not
been easy to hear I have not know
ingly turned aside from what a
least believed 10 he the plain path q
public duty. A full and abiding faiti
is given me TO believe that when ths
I storms of passion shall have passed
the sober. final Judgment of the people
OF Montana will sustain me In th'
course that | have pursued. II thes'
wounds received In hattie for a jus
cause shall leave final scars, shal
carry them into the closing scenes o
private life as the badges Of honor woi
in worth contest for the people o
my state. who temporarily entrusted +
I me the great honor Of having been tin
r Governor of Montana.
e From now until November fourth