The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-10-22

years, II given the chance.
Judge Erickson gave figures which
had been obtained from State Audi
tor Porter, and which he said was the
best authority he was able to obtain,
and in the course Of his speech he said:
"0n October IL, 1922 Senator b. c.
White of Buffalo addressed an inquiry
TO Geo. z. Porter, State Auditor, ask
ing him to state exactly what the ov-
erdraft was on the General Fund of
the State of Montana on January fst.
1921. In reply, he received the fol-
lowing:
Hon. B. G, White, State Senator,
Buffalo, Montana.
Dear Sir:--In response to your in
quiry beg TO state that the overdraft
on the state Of Montana January 1st,
1921 was s1,257 $4,000, us per the
books and records in this office.
Very truly yours,
GEO. P. PORTER,
State Auditor.
There was on that date, January
LIST, 1921, cash in the state treasury,
amounting to $38b,0O0 surplus levy
In the fund which had been created for
purpose Of paying the state asylum
bonds. This sum, an act Of the legis.
iature, was transferred to the General
fund. There was also 100000 In
the war fund levied after the various
war activities had ceased. This amount
was Likewise transferred 10 the gener-
al fund, so that In reality the over
draft January LIST, 1921 was less than
three quarters Of million dollars.
General Fund Levy Increased
In order to provide sufficient reye-
nue. to run the state government and
to take up the floating Indebtedness al
that time, the people in 1920 authoriz.
ed an increase In the general levy Of
one mill on every dollars worth Of pro.
perty IN the state, for the benefit a
o. the general fund. This additiona
levy produced during the years 1921.
Z2-23 additional revenue for the stata
amounting to s1,298, ,8O7.
New and Special Taxes
The legislature Of 1921 also i'm.
D posed a general tax on coal. crude oil
cement, gasoline and increased tn,
METALIFEROUS MINES TAX !,
: mill and half on net proceeds OF In,
mines. The fees Of the secretar,
: were doubled. From these sources
were collected during the three yea
: period above named $l,265,O00 This
together with the increase of the gen
erai levy amounts to over $4,000. 90,
OF new revenue for the state. Remem
= Der this all went into the state treas
cry, no part Of which found Its wa,
into any Of the counties. II shoul,
have enabled the state administratio,
) TO pay up the three quarters Of mil
lion indebtedness which il found an,
keep the state on cash basis.
but what do we find In the rec
n ordf We find that ON the 30th day O
: of June, 1924 the general fund wa
overdrawn $3,b95, ,55s.46, an increas
in the overdraft Of the general fund 0
more than s2,500,0 900 in three and
. half years of the present adniinistra
$ zion. This Is the record.
AThese figures have been used OF
: stump and in the press for some tim
7 and they have never been rfuted, an,
no one has ever challenged their cor
rectness. They show that since tn
present administration the burden 0
taxes has increased abnormally, AM
| that the indebtedness has likewise in
creased. The general fund Of tn
I, state is overdrawn more than $4,000,
!, 900 and viii probably be overdrawi
: four million before the end of tn
r year.
= "MY PLEDGE"
d "If elected governor / win conduc
the business Of the state on a casl
bass, paving MS we CO. aGd win vip'
q out the present general fund indebt
edness Of s3,595,O00 during my ad