The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-05-31
CARBON COUNTY
SHOWS A GOOD
REPORT PAST YEAR
Montana Taxpayers Asso-
citation Complies Interest
ing Data About State.


The 1928 booklet of the Montana
Taxpayers association has just come
to hand. 1t contains much enlighten-
ing and cheering information to the
citizenry of the state. Foremost in
items of cheer are the figures show
ing how rapidly Montana is getting
out of the "red." 1t shows that this
state leads by several lengths every
state in the northwest in the matter
of liquidating farm loan debts. Also
the news it bears regarding payment
of delinquent taxes, which are about
all taken care of, is heartening news.
The Introductory article in this pub
LEGATION by Norman Hotter, president
of the taxpayers association, sums up
in nutshell many good things and
We copy it in part:
Paced by prosperity Montana has
hit her stride.
To-day her soil is rewarding the
farmer with bountiful yields; her cat
tie, hogs and sheep are multiplying;
her farm debts are decreasing; her
bank balances bulk large and the
whole state glows with the business of
gainful endeavor.
Specifically, her 1927 crop, valued
at $160,000,000, was the largest on
record. Her $73,0OO,O00 output of
livestock represents the highest prices
ever received in peace-time history.
In competition with all Of the United
States and Canada, at Chicago last
fall, Montana grains carried off the
highest honors-125 awards - and
Montana cattle and sheep took pre-
mier position, with 80 awards, MAX
ing her winnings 55 per cent of the
total-or more than all others COM
bined
CAT home, Montana farm mortgage
Indebtedness was reduced by $685.
600 in five-year period-more than
any other state in the union--and dur
ing these same years Montana people
paid nearly $18,000,000 in delinquent
taxes. Montana bank deposits in
1927 totaled $172,000,0 00-close to
high-water mark. Commercial failures
were fewer and for far smaller total
than for five years previous.
Estate, county and municipal gov
errments have Topped off large chunks
of bonded Indebtedness and, best of
all, have quit issuing new bonds. In
achieving this commendable situation,
the aid and influence of this publica-
ton, with it's circulation of over 3d.
600, were an acknowledged factor.
The only exception is a tendency in
certain quarters to exploit our pros
perity by raising county and school
levies. We invoke the attention of
the taxpayers in the hope that this
folly may be stopped.
"Today, with the surface of her
matchless resources barely scratched,
with Incompatible transportation faci-
lities afforded by five transcontinental
railroads, with but one-third of her
farm lands occupied, with a million
horsepower III IeI ulllldllleSSeu
streams, home-seekers will find Mon
tana at the threshold of a new era,
with "Welcome" on the mat and op-
portunity in the offing
"But it is a welcome to the pro-
ducer, not the parasite; to the man of
experience, training and steady OBJ
jective, not the drifter and floater.
This is no heaven of effortless ease,
and we are not blowing gold dollars
from the soil. But the horn of plenty
can still be filled in Montana by the
hard working husbandman who knows
how"
Carbon county shows up prominent
ly in the report and among the many
good points of our sections is the fact
that our expenditure was less in 1927
than the previous year. This is for
the cost of maintaining offices, courts,
elections, roads and bridges, prisoners
and poor. In the year 1926 it took
S19O,215 to cover these expenses,
while in 1927 the amount was $780,
SOL, or a decrease of 1884.
Of the Sc counties in Montana, 81
of them increased their levies but
Carbon county was able to keep her
levies the same in 1927 as during the
previous year.