The producers news., 1935-09-13
(Continued from page y

papa Gum AMI pop Gunn anu oIneI
lobbyists in thwarting the will Of :
the people by insiduous arguments |
or promises of place to Senators |
and Representatives.
Agents Defeat State Insurance
After IL years of agitation a
good law is finally worked through
that the state gradually manage to
carry its own fire insurance. This /
organization, 1894 smart people,
men and women, who put their
own private gain against the pub
lie welfare, quickly get thousands
of signatures of their dupes, in an
effort to nullify the law by refer
endum. If the carrying of its own
fire insurance did no other good,
the elimination of part of the
agents from politics and thus
breaking their alliances with the
other absentee landlords would be
a blessing.
Tools of Corporations
The rank and file of insurance
agents are minions of the Tele-
phone company, electric and gas
companies, wheat milling compani-
es ard railroads, in procuring
friendly laws, and small taxes for
the big corporations in Montana.
Until we knock the props from un-
: der the insurance crowd we aIS
supporting with our own money, a
horde of smart workers for our
political enemies. They are in
every dinner club. They are in
every secret society. They are
prominent in churches. They work
continually against us and enter
the counsels of the satraps of the
absentee landlords as willing allies
in any doubtful enterprise, to de-
nature popular government.
Tax Insurance for Old Age
Pensions
A decent, permanent respected
and relied system Of old age pen
sions would in a few years, retain
in this state a major portion of the
millions and millions of dollars
that every year leave this state for
life insurance to help New York
Millionaires debauch some men,
bers of congress after impoverish-
ing this state. Why not tax the life
insurance profit of millions here
annually to pay old age pensions.
DR.. Townsend has an idea that has
captivated millions of hard think
ing people. But l cannot agree that
the means of geting the money
: for old age pensions should come
. from a sales tax. Such taxes, even
though they be on gasoline or Ii
, quorS, are a tax on the poor, to
1 absolve the rich from their just
burdens.
: Four Ways for Pension Money
4 Ample money could easily be
> provided for old age pensions OF
all persons above so in Montana
amounting to s100 the month by
s four simple measures.
p FIRST: The gas extraction tax,
initiatOry petitions for which are
about to be circulated
SECOND: Make the utilities
telephone, telegraph, power and
light, railroad, mining, milling
companies pay on basis of 100
percent of true value of their
property, instead of 40 percent
or less fixed by a weak heed
: legislature.
e THIRD: Tax open pit coal
) mining, whenever one concern
e mines more than $4,000 tons per
d year, a dollar per ton extraction
! tax. The Northern Pacific rail-
) road is mining about one mil
'e lion tons of coal the year at Coal
ie Strip by open pit mining at a
cost of less than 35 cents the
n ton, while il costs independent
a miners 81 or more the ton to
IL mine. a.
al FOURTH: Tax all persons
owning more than 100000 acres
of land in this state one dollar
per year per acre. special privi-
lege tax. The Northern Pacific
le railroad has vet four million acres
- of land in Montana. While young
men were laying down their lives
rs to save the Union in 1864, old
e harpdes got Congress to give
VS. them the Northern Pacific land
Il, u, grant, bigger in area than the
10 state of Ohio or Illinois or Ken
ru lucky. This company, or its pre-
is decessOr, has for so years Sc
as tricked our law making powers
ne in Helena that by law, in Muss
s elshell County 77,OOO acres o.
&c NOrthern Pacific coal land il
In assessed at so cents an acre
d 5000 acres of coal land of inde
M pendent owners Is assessed Al
$50 an acre. (Judge Callaway
wrote the opiniOn)
mt TOwnsenders Should Consider Tn
tie Certainly in Montana, the adv
~. Gates of the Townsend plan, (al
ch there are many fine economic thi
he kers among them) should consi
a er for raising enough money f
yes its fulfillment taxing surplus
e. 1S5 million dollars of the Northe
ws Pacific instead of levying a sal
gs tax on already pauperized co
es- sumers. lft
Easier to Prevent than Cure
/ Often it is aesier and more (
ate fective to eradicate a cause tn
an to combat an effect. House fl
red lay their eggs in stable manu-
Screens are useful, removal of
ay, breeding matter is better. Verde
Jo- against insurance companies helI
ich little bit.
ers The best way, however, to {
IN rid Of liability insurance graft
to follow the plan found to we
1n- so well in Massachusetts and v
rile ginia. A small additional amoa
above the license fee is requir
'ish This is put in fund, handled
in the state.s Everybody is insul
net against automobile injury in tn
nds states. 1t is estimated that in M
tana, not less than So nor m
'ath than 81 per year additional wo
ued be enough. 80 .&nt q
Gus At the annual meeting OF
ate State Bar Association in Nilsson
In 1886, a committee (Thos. B. {