The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-08-16

half as much as Co Kelley's year
ly salary. In fact. the legislature
could cut Cons salary down, be-
cause it can regulate the internla
workings of a Montana corpora
ton such as the Anaconda is.
The u. S. Supreme Court has new
er decided that we could not get a
ma in Burke Clements place.
Of % states which have a state
income tax only Montana and Del
aware, the dukedom Of the Du-
points, are so craven as to exempt
corporations from paying the same
income taxes as natural persons
pay. This state is run by the Ana
conda and the Northern Pacific as
heads of the Grand Alliance, and
their lobbyists and jury fixers pos
ing as lawyers. Here are the two
big tax dodgers in this state. The
other members of the Grand AL
lance are vesmen to these two.
The mines of the Anaconda are
on every continent. The money to
develop them originated in the
Butte mines. with Butte labor and
high mining technique. 1t is but
right to make the Anaconda pay
an income tax on income earned
elsewhere. This would net probab-
ly $475,00O this year. The U. S.
Supreme Court has recetlv decid-
ed that Montana could do this be-
cause that corporation is domiciled
here.
Big Income to Railroads
The Northern Pacific owns all
the stock in the Northwestern I'M
provement company. During the
last lean 6 years, the dividends
| from this subsidiary has averaged
above A million dollars the year
This is land owning company
Most of its land is in this state
The u. S. Supreme Court says we
can put this income under our in.
come tax law. 1t would yield $160,
600 the year. 1t is quite just tt
capture all this land by taxation
It is residue of the old fraudulent
Land Grant of 1865. There is ye-
a million acres of it in Montana
1t should be taxed one dollar pei
acre per year until it is abandon
ed to the state. There is money fol
the state in it's land. The Publi
School fund has seven million dol
lars of various securities. Brand
jord could care for another A mil
lion acres and make good none,
for the state out of it.
The N. P. Railway is mining
at Coal Strip by open pit, one mil
lion tons of coal the year at a cos
of So cents the ton. A dollar pel
ton for this displacement of labo.
would bring the state another mil
lion the year. There is no goot
reason why the Northern Pacifi
Ry. alone should not pay million
dollars year to Montana abov,
what it pays now except the cor
ruption of our legislators and COW
ardice of our electorate. Tt Womb
not lower wages of its EMPLOYEES
Railroad wages are the same or
the Northern Pacific with 1876 mil
lion dollar surplus, Great North
ern with 100 million dollar sur
I plus and Milwaukee in banl1rupt
Wages are governed by other &c
onomic laws than the amount pro
duced by labor, under the svsten
for profit and not for use.
Reclassify Utility Property
The place to get about 10 millio,
additional dollars revenue for th,
state is in the Reconsideration q
the property of the utilities for ia,
alton. The railroads, telephone oa
power, milling, smelling companie
pay on valuation of 40 per cent
No one should object to being as
sesed on the true value of his nro
perty. Let US reclassify and nIac
at a 80 percent valuation the fol
lowing pipe lines for pas fror
well to consumer; hydraulic MOVIE
| dams, generating plants TRANSMITS
/ sion lines from plant to conS11n1a,
premises. telegraph lines, telphon
lines. flour mills. smelteries. rail Il
! road equipment and roadbeds sta
: tions, rolling stock. 80
Insurance Graft
1t is true that lawyers are no
| usually producers. But, contraste
with insurance agents our metho