The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-08-20
GOV. JOSEPH DIXON GIVES
ACCOUNT OF
Continued from page Five

NOOAlLAl4uCu AAOiA pass ANCJ
upon to decide in November. This
proposes to equaliZe the present uIi-
fair system CT taxation by imposing
d l per cent gross production license
tax on the output of metal mines.
It's opponents have industriOusly put
forth the propaganda that it viii
hurt the small mine owners and poor
prOspectOrs." AS a matter of fact,
they know better. In the first place
there is an exemption Of $780, 900 to
big and little mining companies alike.
From 500, 900 to $780, 600 prOIuc-
ton, the tax is only One-quarter Of
! per cent. The full l per cent does
not apply except when metal pr0ddc-
ton reaches and exceeds $500 ,00G
per year.
Had the proposed metal mines tax
law been in effect during the thlCC
years covered by this statement the
state would have collected during
That period the sum Of 1897, 600.80,
or 1901 ,994.14 more than was actual
ly collected under the present law.
OF the 1897 ,60G.8O, One-half, $685.
800.40) would have been distributed
directly to the schools of the state.
AS the tax commission figures the
returns from last year, out Of 3S9
metals mines reporting for the year,
only % mines will be in any way
affected by the initis-ed law. On
the basis of last years production.
it will yield 5000 600. One-half Of
this will go to the school districts OF
the state, in proportion to the num-
ben Of children enrolled the other
half to the state treasury. To that
extent it will lift the present tax
burden Of every tax payer in Mon
tana.
Defeated by State Senate
This same identical law was passed
by the house at the last legislative
session, but was defeated in the SEN
ate by as powerful a lobby a. was
ever assembled in your state capitol.
| am glad to say that every MEM
Der of the Ravilli county delegation
voted for the bill.
AS an example of how the owners
Of wealth in metal mines are escap-
ing their share OF taxes under the
present unfair system, | will cite the
following actual transactions:
This last February, the Davis-Da-
ly mine in Butte vas sold to The
Anaconda by vote of its stockholders
for $4,000, 900. Mr.. Mcintyre, the
county treasurer of Silver Bow, GER
titled TO the state tax commission
that for the year the taxable value
of this mine was SAL ,030. The total
taxes paid that year on this prop
erty, which sold for three million
dollars, actual cash, was $2.549.
l honestly believe that if all the
people in Montana could know the
truth of how this unfair system of
dual taxation was fastened upon the
! state by the combination of the forces
of the great mining interests in the
| constitutional convention in 1889, un-
der the combined leadership OF ClarI
and Daily, over the indignant nro-
tests of some of the delegates from
the agricultural counties, and how
brazenly unfair have been the re.
suits, they would rectify the great
wrong in November by a 10 to 1 ma
jOrity for the proposed metal mines
license tax law.
Controlling the Newspapers
But you know the power of great
concentrated wealth in controlling
newspapers, legislatures and befuddi.
ing public opinion, when their special
interests are at stake.
You have some slight knowledge
of the power Of their newspapers &c
discredit and crush men in public
life and in business who dare chall.
enge their wrath by telling the truth
The private citizen in the secrecy OF
the voting booth need have no fear
of injury.
Unfortunately for Montana, mos
Of its great daily newspapers, upon