Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-24

Vote No on Saturday. 1t is our only escape from an
ENHANCEMENT. into which we have been blindly led.
The Fairbanks-Morse Company, in their endeavor to sell
a lot of machinery to P%lentywood, have cited the attention of
the people of Plentywood, and especially that of the Mayor
and members of the Council to the wonderful savings made at
various t. WINS with about the same population and valuation.
Park River, North Dakota was held up as a shining ex-
ample OF what a progressive little city can do if they only want
to. Reports brought back to Plentywood by the committee in
vestgating Park River were to the effect that the city made on
ly one 10 mill tax levy which took care of everything which
the earnings of the light plant did not pay for. We were told
they have lots of paving and a fine park of 20 acres in which
many men were employed.
Park River has a population of lO45, and ~Plentywood
has a population of l223.
There is something strangely amiss when the tax levies
are figured up between Park River and Plentywood. They
have their own private light plant which cannot pay all these
expenses as their levies for the upkeep of Park River is far
greater than a 10 mill levy according to the figures of Deputy
State Tax Commissioner L. A. Baker, of North Dakota, who
has given US the following certified figures of the tax levies
for the past three years in Park River, which are as follows:
Year General Fund Sinking and Bond Total
Levy Interest Levy
1927 $7,6O5.O7 $3,202l3 $lO,8O7.2 20
1928 73O5.oO 3.l74l8 O.84OO 8
|l929 1865 3'i7o9S l06o7.I3
We have made a careful check of the amount of taxes
levied against all property in Plentywood, and as taken from
the Tax hooks o. the County Treasurer shows a total cash levy
for each of these three years as follows:
1927 1923 1929
$l2,93l.2s $l2,271.lO $lO,l 10. sol
From these figures it can readily be seen that the tax lev
les in Park River are somewhat less in 1927 and 1928, but are
larger in 1929 than the Plentywood levy of 80 mills.
The reason that our levies in 1927 and 1928 are greater
is that in 1927 we had a So mill levy; in 1928 we had a 43
mill levy and in 1929 a 80 mill levy. The 1929 levy of 80
mills in Plentywood is nearly $500 90 less than the total levy
in Park River.
Therefore, the people should be very careful in deciding
whether they wish to assume an obligation of at least 500, 900
and possibly more, in order to once again become an isolated
plant.
If Park River cannot make their plant pay with at least
as great a levy Of taxes as we have, what will happen to Plen-
Itywood when our present tax levy appears to be adequate to
meet the charges Of the MontanaDakota Power Company for
street lights and power for operating our municipal water sys-
The contract to be voted on calls for an investment of
over SAL, 00O.0 for machinery. This is to be paid for in 50
monthly installments out of the earnings OF the municipal
light plant. There is no mention of the fact that we must pay
SIX per cent interest on this huge sum or more than SZoOO.OO
per year interest.
Besides this huge sum we must raise possibly about
$40, 900 cash for a distribution system, building and other ex-
penses.
We cannot bar the Power Company from serving in
dividual customers with light and power in Plentywood In dl
rect competition with the municipal plant, even tho the Coun-
ell maintains they cannot do so. This matter OF severance from
the hi-lire will bring on a long drawn GU. law suit. We under
stand that the Farbanks-Morse company has given the city
council a guarantee they will pay all attorney tees, BOI
THEY HAVE NOT GUARANTEED TO PAY THE
lCOURT COSTS which may be assessed against Plentywood.
f that was the case, why have they not already paid the Court
costs of the first suit which Plentywood lost in the injunction
suit brought this spring, in which Plentywood was perman-
|ently restrained from purchasing a Diesel enginea These costs
amounted to 500. SO and was entered as a judgment against
the City of P~lentywood on May 3lst, 1880 and are unpaid at
this time.
The per capita tax levy in Plentywood for 1929 was less
than .83 cents each, and this incl uded the taxes for paying for
our street lights, our white way as well as for power for pump
ing water.
The per capita tax levy in Park River for 1929, where
they have their own municipal light and power plant was over
ST .0l, or a per capita tax of almost u per cent more than
Plentywood.
Are we going to jump from the frying pan into the fire.