The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-10-30
CAN THE ISSUE BE CAMOUFLAGED?

IAN TIE iOSOE II OAWOOFLASEO
DR.. H. c. Gardiner, who is stumping the state in defenst
of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, talked to
good sized house between shows at the Liberty theatre or
Monday night. Representatives of the A. C. M. literally
bought the show" for the evening and billed the towr
"EveTything Free" to insure a crowd. It was an incident
that illustrates the mammoth scale on which the A. C. NJ
is campaigning the state to prevent the passage Of Initia-
tive Measure No. 28. It is exceedingly advantageous to
have the money to do things Big Business style. The dry
land farmers, the small businessmen, the wage earners and
The school children of Montana have no such force behind
their side of the issue. All they have is a few newspapers
and Governor Dixon. And these papers and the Governor
are surely getting theirs from the paid campaigners OF the
Copper interests.
of the question thoroughly in mind and makes the most of
them. He also used charts to impress the great sums ne
mentioned on the minds of hearers. His talk was neces-
sarily dry and brought out little that was new to those VINO
have followed the campaign. The principal effect OF his
talk must have been to confirm his hearers IN their con-
illusions concerning the taxpaylng obhgaConS OF me Iop-
company. The doctor said the A. G.. M. lost Sl3,OOO,
900 during the recent business slump. But it is still going
strong and apparently not hampered for lack of funds. If
worked out in fair proportion thirteen millions is light
to the losses of farmers, stockmen and mer-
chants during the same period. But the farmers, stOckmen
and merchants are not excused from paying any part OF
their taxes.
The A. C. M. is an immense corporation with vast hold
.ngs of many kinds and they of course cannot escape pay
ing taxes on their machinery, buildings, ground surface,
timber, etc. These taxes amount to sums that are large IN
themselves but small compared to the value OF the prop
erty. After all their pleas and sillful presentations are
udUG CuS SICdU, OOIlQ ICL1dlL C1LdC CC IL ~ 44s NV
lot pay taxes on al the vast wealth they dig out Of their
mines from year to year. Vast is not too strong
term when it is known that the chairman of the board
f directors in 1923 said the net annual profit of the COM
for the preceding 10 years had been over $4,000
100. No wonder they have money left after losing Sl3,-
0 $1,000 with which to fight measure compelling them to
ay a larger share Of their just taxes.
Heretofore the A. G. NJ. has dealt with legislatures on !.
he matter of the legislation proposed in Initiative Meas
re No. 20, and dealt with them very successfully. This
the job is bigger for the whole body Of voters to be
on7+ with Con tho DoOD10 hn fOOlnH and tho iSCT1n c9mN1- III
aged sufficiently to let the A. G.. M. get by again? Will
majority Of the voters vote FOR" on measure %? Those
re the big questions Of the campaign. Justice, no more,
o less, is what is demanded.
DR.. Gardiner complained bitterly because a "local
aper' had published a cartoon and an editorial favorable
measure %. He did not name the paper but everybody
the theatre knew the local paper openly defending the
interests of eastern Montana against the
owerful mining interests, and urging the people not to
fooled but to vote FOR measure 28 The Herald was
thus to be publicly classed with the forces fighting
r a single and more equal system Of taxation. The
erald, in common with nearly every paper in the state,
lis space to the A. G. M. but its opinions are its own.
--O