Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-09-18

= 49, EF>%tFe&AN4@a8 49, " - -
= state tax commismaon. Although the
people themselves ratified the TAx
Commission amandment, The Ana
eonda and the Montana Power Inter
e~ts Immediately attacked BY lnJuceicn
10 the supreme CouEs- After nonkhs
o. delay, the ratification By the vote
90 the people was sustained By bare
majority vote OF 8 70 2 In the Suprene
Court
Despite the opposition Of powerful
.Ooo'es. financed oy the@e great special
.-.s 49, 80. we we're nnaliy anae 20 wsAte
49, ene TAX Avs o. hone@na moossn
P'O'i'ion regarding
.nneritances,
u..inAn car ines
Aa4 COMMISSION
- srOss ca on pEooeeSloa,
OO~' peooessaon- ana ssASe'aAe
Inc hnancaAi political power OF tne
great metal minang companies was
strOng enough 70 de1eat 10 tAe senate
she one per cent 6r0@s production TAX
On tne output OF metal nane@' wnich
tne house had passed. STAGE Mon-
sanaa admission 70 stataAo@ds tn@@s
sreat to7egn owned ansnanw cOsnpanaes
nea' through political co1RFos o. aeSz@-
latares' newspapers, oank credits nnd
STATE government. been anae 90 nave
sneir yearly output or mshions "a
weaitn assessed Tor eaxAsson only On
net production" II there were no net |
prohits there were no taxes on tne
nanefei wealth produced.
The Dual Tax eysesna
Yet, during ali these years. the farms,
homes, livestock. and banks OF Mon-
tana's resident citinens were paying
taxes whether there were any net /
profits In the business or not.
To chow how unfairlw thu nneaent
anal wvvta, 80 ,aw.tscn Mas worhaN
I cite sol,o,v,ng srs,,aI- t,.a.,~. ct,ona.
TN,s last rehr.,arv the Y1sv,s-Tlalx
m,ne n prtsa 80 sosT 70 rha Ara.
cords nv vote ~ -Iss ssncsho,sIsrs Ar
60 ooo ooo ~ 1scv,.vrn ire ro,rtv
Tres s.,ra, ~ e,,var nv. cert,slad ~
the stats Tsx com,n,.s,or thst FOR the I
wear 1904 the taxah,e v.ina ~ th,e
nine was e11 oao rrha total tax.~
raid that year on thIs nronar,v which
soId sor thraa n,,IIIon do1,sr~ actnal
casn ,.,as 20 rAo
- M, .t,,.so ,,,t,t,o,, a,,,,.,.. had hoe,
trvoa,oa :, ar, tsras .h.t ,,aav -.
s,oad - e. 40 .a~as 4, ,..,,,,ta have
c.td &sr orr =, roar,,, 90 s,,,,s. 49,
rorch ~ th,s tnras n,t,.,sn hsa h.en
,-~os.o, :. 1.ss. a.ss,e :. -, .a.ehar
s,sa ~ $50, ,.,,,,,,s h..,s 49,. ea1 Ar
- No.. 49,, o. $780, , s.
NV, - ,,,,.,,.s tt,,,
=. - 49,. 49,. .,,'-...,... A., 1880, -
TO- ,.,,, 49, s~,.a !, nr....ra
The new Tax Comn,,ssson's re returpa
,or a.. Las. .va.r s,,,vs ss,as 100000
u msrchAndssey paid nearly three
times the amount OF taxes paid by all
the great metal mines OF the state.
Lat year %store furniture and fix
tnres' paid In more than 0ne-third as
much tar as all the metal mines net
Dr0eeeds tax.
In 1922, bank stock paid over
~ ~------@ 49, - - 1
reeds" from metals mines That year
Household Goods" paid 25A times az
much tax as did all metals mines on
Aeir "net proceeds"
This dual system Of taxation In Mon
ana has been so brazenly Unfair that
he wonder is the people who live In
aontana have horne the unequal bur
len with such meek patience and for
itude.
Buf under the Initiative section OF
ur state constitution, 10000 citizens
( the state have, within the past few
nontha. initiated the same Identical
ne per cent gross output metals mines
csnse tax law a. was passed BY the
a~''Se TWO years ago.
wines y en law WsM pasa
Despairing Of confused control Of
'kfssaeures BY the big mining Interests.
sey nave finally defermined 70 exer-
@e khe5E re@@Kws@ constitutional pow