Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-04-16

Believing hat our members of
The Sheridan County Taxpayers
Association, and others. may be
interested in knowing what infOr-
nation l have received regarding
the Gas Tax Debenture Referen-
dun No. 35, the following are ex-
tracts from a few letters The
complete letters and other mat
ter are aavilable to our members
at any time for further study.
In reply to my inquiry, the secre-
tary of the Montana Taxpayers As
ISOLATION states that they will not
take IN active part for or against
the Debenture issue, as we do not
make a practice of entering into any
controversial questions" The secret
airy further states, ut would seem
that the bond issue is necessary at
this time if the highway Commission
is able to match a like amount of gov
eminent aid which is now available.
This will not raise the amount of gas
oline tax we now have, but is merely
~mortgaging the income from gasoline
for several years in advance. The AS
ISOLATION was very close to the legis-
lature during the last session and
there was no talk for the adjustment
of the gas tax refunds. The term
motor fuels" was put into the bill to
take care of any new discovery that
may take place of gasoline on the
highways.
Attorney General L. A. Foot replies,
"Section 9 apparently limits the tax
to gasoline. The State Board of Equal
ization has. l am informed, analysed
the law and announced that it does not
construe it to increase the tax" In an
other copy of a letter he states, 1.-THE
question whether the tax levied by the
House Bill $50 imposes a tax of s., a
gallon on gasoline in addition to the
present tax in the same amount is one
which, of course, only the Supreme
Court can definitely settle. In con-
strueing a statute, the rule is that the
court will ascertain, if possible. the
intent of the legislature that enacted
the statute and construe the same in
conformity with such intent"
Secretary D. C. Salyerds of the
Montana Automobile Assn. writes a
good long letter, explaining the above
points and also in part, "We think the
members of the legislature from your
county will assure you that there new
er was any mention or sugge 'tion of
a ten cent gas tax. On the question of
motor fuels" the authors of the bill
are very emphatic in that it was oily
included with the intention Of cover
ing substitutes for gasoline = = on
highways. The attention of the attor-
neys who drafted the bill was called
to the fact that the question mad aris-
en- in the East and in California. These
new motor fuels are being introduced
for automobile use are what is known
as benzol derivatives and are widely
advertised to sell at a lower cost than
gasoline. AS to the cost and expense
of securing the additional govern
ment aid, being we'll over 1900. 900,
our figures do not show quite this
much = they show a debenture ex-
pense of 81, 649, 10000. To this must
be added the actual cost of the cleo
tion, which must not exceed 5000, 900
and which, due to the voluntary assis-
lance general all wei the State, in the
way of free judges and clerks of ell
ection and rent the cost of polling
places, will be greatly reduced. Even
were the cost of securing this extra
federal appropriation of $4,000 900, to
the amount as stated $2,000,00 0, it
could not but be a profitable invest
ment."
Mr.. Salyerds further states, eff it
were imposing a general tax on all
the people of the State for this High
way improvement there might be
some grounds for objection at this
time to paying this interest, but there
being no general tax and the entire
burden is imposing on the man who
uses the highways. Question now is
"Shall we let this man who is using
our highways and paying for the
highways with his gasoline tax, Dor
row some money for a more speedy
completion of the highways that he is
paying for?"
Our own Senator and Representa-
tives, although not very enthusiastic
over the wording of the measure, ag-
rec as to the intent as has been ex-
pressed, but are not advising which