The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-09-11
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STATE REPUBLICANS
SOUND KEYNOTE
Excerpts From Platform
Adopted by State Con-
vention September 8 Z

AOui ftdlS dSO lHe pan y
assumed charge Of the administration
of the state government. They found
the state treasury virtually bankrupt
with outstanding unpaid warrants and
deficiency claims totaling more than
two million dollars and with q system
of government promising to add an
nually to this deficiency.
In the period since that time the tax
able valuation of the state has been
decreasing annually-with a fixed con-
stitutional provision limiting the levy
for state purposes, the revenues of the
state from the direct property tax have
necessarily decreased in proportion.
The great problem of the present adj
m~inistration has been 10 adjust state
expenditures to the state income on
the n hand and on the other to re-
adjust the tax burden that was weigh
ing most heavily upon the land owners,
business men and home owners of the
state.
Because of the fact that Governor
Dixon. as leader of the Republican
party in Montana and the head of the
present Republican administration, re-
peatedly called the attention of the
people of the state and of the legis-
lature to this situation and insisted
that one of the great problems before
the state government was the readjust-
ment of the tax burden, so that those
large corporate interests that were de-
pleting the natural resources of the
state of Montana should bear a larger
and a fairer share of this tax burden,
there has been, during the entire
course of the past four years, a most
and determined effort made to
discredit the governor and his admins
tration and to deceive the people of
state as to the real problem con-
fronting the state government. and to
confuse and misinform the people as
to the real condition of the state
finances.
Holds Expenses Within Income
Despite the unfavorable financial
conditions in the state resulting from
conditions in agricultural sec
ions and despite the fact that the
tate was heavily burdened with debt
It the beginning Of the administration,
md that the revenues of the state were
decreasing, we call your attention to
he fact that there has been substan-
ial achievement, both in the adjust
nent Of the states income to its ex-
enditures and in the readjustment of
he tax burden resting on the people of
he state. We call the attention Of the
to the fact that for the first
ime since 1918, the income of the gen (:
raj fund this year has exceeded the
expenditures from that fund.
We commend Governor Dixon for his
outrageous use Of the veto power in
n effort to curtail public expendi- :
lres, and commend the legislative :
ction in support of this direct move :
state economy. :
We take pride in the fact that ex- :
enses of each department of direct :
late government has been reduced or :
cid without increase. We particular :
call attention to the remarkable re- :
that have been made in the :
of administering the state prison :
nd the state asylum for the insane. :
he costs of administering the state :
EDUCATIONAL institutions resultant from :
lie increasing attendance and the en- :
plants voted by the people must :
E met for the welfare of the entire :
ate, and we condemn the insidious Z
Propaganda which under the quise of :
would strike a blow at them. e
Endorse Metal Mines Tax :
We heartily endorse and pledge our Z
1qualified support toward the pass =
re of the initiative measure known =
the Metal Mines license tax, an :
.onomically just and sound measure 6
at will equalize the tax burdens of =
e state, reducing the load now =
'rne by the farmers and small bust s
'ss interests and compelling the great e
ming interests to bear a greater por- e
than is now borne under the un- s.
ir and archaic net proceeds system. z
Tax Commission Justified e
We congratulate the people of Mon e
ma on their vote to establish a state e
x commission, which has proven by e
efforts that its creation was iusti- z
ID. It has saved the state more than e
cost by the collection of taxes e
Iherto unpaid and by its study of e
.entific methods of taxation it has e
d the foundation for just and eouit- z
lie distribution of the tax burden e
on all classes of wealth. =
The Republican party is intensely e
crested in the development of the e
bile school system of the state. The e
raj schools of the state have suffered g
the past from the lack of adequate e
ancial support, due to the faulty adj e
;tment of the tax burden in Mon =
Ia, and one of the main objects of =
: fight for tax equalization on the e
rt of the Republican administration =
5 been to bring relief to IL common e
FOOLS; to that effort we pledge our =
support. -