davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
To Build l35-Ton
Mill at Mine

Mr.. and Mrs. w. R. Wade and
secretary, Mrs. M. B. Anduiza re-
turned from the Pacific coast Mon
day evening where they have been
for the past few months.
Tuesday morning Mr.. Wade began
making preparations for work at
the Brannagan. He said, Il plan to
hire 20 or 30 men and do develop
ment work until the weather per-
mits us to go ahead with our reg
ular mining operations.
This summer | expect to build a
mill on my property which will
treat about 1875 tons in "a hours.
1t will be Diesel-electric driven
plant"
Last summer Mr.. Wade engineer
ed the building of dam at Bran
let lake the purpose of which was
to conserve water for the dry sea-
son Of the summer. so work at the
Brannagan and on other proper
ties in that locality would not be
numbered.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21

Montana public schools derive
about 80 per cent of all their reve-
nue. from general property taxes.
Between 1880 and 1910 the taxable
valuation of Montana dropped $780,
100000. With public schools get
ting most OF their revenue from
property taxes, shrinkage of ex-
penditures was inevitable. In four
years, 1881 to 1884, the income from
district and county tax levies drop
ped over one million dollars and
state funds dependent largely on
incomes and deaths about $780,
600. Fortunately, during this period
decreasing debts required less mon
ey and by pairing operating expenses
and suspending capital improve
ments, schools were able to get ex-
penses down by 1884 to within rev.
enues. But by 1884 the finances of
many were in bad shape. To meet
this situation the Legislature in 1884
and 1885 put into effect new tax
measures and hoped up rates on
others, placing much of the income
in the state public school general
fund.
The revenues from county taxes
for school purposes went up ST.
100000 in the school year ending
June 80, 1886, due to the unpre-
cedented payment of delinquent
taxes without penalty and interest
Schools finished the year with large
unexpended cash balances which re-
suited in slightly lower tax levies
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21

fund bonds, will run into very
substantial sum.
This interest could be saved the
County, said Messrs. Schuck and
Shanahan. if reasonable change in
the state law governing poor fund
levies could be made. Under the
present law, the maximum levy per-
mitted for poor fund purposes is 6
mills. The County has levied the
total and is still badly in need of
more money. If that maximum re-
striction could be increased, say
those officials, the money required
for the poor fund could be raised by
a direct levy. 1t would then not
be necessary to register warrants
nor issue bonds and the interest
charge could thus be eliminated.
A very large sum of money is
required today to take care Of the
poor, because of present industrial
conditions, the large number of un-
employed, coupled with the many
social services that are now being
provided such as old age pensions,
mothers pensions, and child well
fare assistance. Inasmuch as 1t ap-
pears this large sum of money must
be provided, it would be merely
good business to raise the fund by
direct taxation and save the inter-
est charge that it is necessary to
pay under the present set-up, say
these two county officials who have
given this matter considerable study
as they have watched the amount of
money needed for poor fund pur-
poses increase from year to year.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Rules For Egg
Hunting Contest

Here are the rules for the Lions
Club egg hunting contest to be
held on Easter.
Those entering should meet in
front of the high school building
Starting gun will be fired at lis
p. m. (Time has been changed from
early morning so as not to inter
fere with Sunday school and church
services.)
Thirty minutes will be given to
the hunt.
Age of contestants-Up to and
including IL years.
Prizes will be offered for the
winners. Some of the eggs will be
blown and slips of paper enclosed
in them. The finders of those eggs
will also win prizes.
The egg hunt will be followed
by an egg rolling contest, for which
suitable prizes will be given.
Members of the Lions Club will
hide the eggs in and around the
school house blocks and Dexter
Field from IL to loo o'clock.
All Lions are requested to be or
the grounds not later than LOT
o'clock to assist in the affair.
Ladies Take Notice! 1t has beer
suggested that this will be an ex
cellent opportunity for you to par
ade your new Easter bonnets ant
other spring finery. A large crow,
] will unquestionably be present, s.
why not help make this first Easte
egg hunt in Libby colorful affair
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
FBI Officers
Arrest Troy Mon

L. B McCracken, well-knowr
Troy citizen, was arrested yester-
day by a member of the Fedora
Bureau of Investigation. The war.
rant was issued from Spokane ano
McCracken is being held in the
county Jail until arrival of proper
authorities.
He is being held on charges Of
writing a letter threatening to blow
up the Troy Light & Power COM
pany if they did not give him back
his job from which he was released
some time ago.
Further details are not available
at this time due to the fact that the
case is under federal supervision
and officers of the FBI were not
present at the time of publication
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
More Answer for
Traffic Law Violations

Patrolman George Mourar reports
the arrest of the following for
breaking Of highway regulations
Delbert Miller, Libby, fined five
dollars in Justice Haigler's court
for an overload of 1900 pounds.
He was arrested March is.
Irwin Mcdonald of Oklahoma paid
a two dollar fine in Justice Payne's
court in Troy on March Is for
more than three persons in the
drivers seat.
The j. Neils Lumber company was
fined SIS March ID by Justice Gibbs
court in Troy for an overload of
7,480 pounds.
j. B. Somppi forfeited two dol
lars in Justice Gibson's court this
morning for driving with faulty
lights. He was arrested last night.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
$1,000 Weekly From
Unemployment Fund

The purpose back of unemploy-
ment insurance is to provide bene-
fits for those out of work and to
carry them over periods Of unem-
ployment. That beneficial result is
being felt in Lincoln county at this
time, says Paul Church, who is in
charge of public welfare work in
the county. About $4,000 is being
distributed in Lincoln county each
week by the state unemployment
compensation commission" said
Church. This is resulting in a
lessening of the demand for re-
lief, this lessening being quite no.
ticeable Of late" People who are
out of work and who are entitled
to Unemployment payments can Sc
cure them for a period of Is weeks
if they do not secure work within
that time.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
zoniing P| Ian
For County
Is Studied
Some States Have Adopted
Method to Keep People
Off Poor Land.
CANNOT MAKE LIVING;
MEANS TAX EXPENSE

How many residents of Lincoln
county realize that approximately
$500 people have moved into the
county from drought districts dur
ing the past year or two? And
how many would further realize that
fully 80 per cent of those new COM
ers are now recipients of relief?
County relief OFFICIALS are authority
for these statements.
Many of these new corners have
settled in the Eureka, Trego and
Fortine districts. Some will be
found around Troy and also a scat
tering few families in the Libby
district. Most of these people have
settled on land that had reverted
to the county through non-payment
of taxes. 1t is utterly impossible
to make living on most of such
land, say those who are intimately
acquainted with conditions. Tile
inevitable result is that these peo-
ple-many Of them good citizens
must be taken care of at county ex-
pense. That is one reason why rails
ing enough money for the county
poor fund is becoming an almost un-
solveable problem and is causing
county officials constant head
ache.
There is a movement gaining
strength over the United States the
object of which is to better control
a situation such as has developed
here. 1t is known as the coming
plan. Under the plan, the lands Of
a county are classified and then
zoned. Thereafter settlement is not
permitted on land or in districts
which have been classified as un-
suitable to support family. Such
action will prevent men and women
from wasting years and labor in
struggling to make a living and fail
ing on land where it is impossible to
make a livelihood. On the other
hand. they will be induced to mase
on to more fertile districts where
their efforts will meet with reason
able success.
Such coming would not prevent the
building of summer homes, hunting
lodges and similar establishments
on the forbidden land. The only
thing that would be stopped would
be the attempt to establish perma-
nent homes.
The zoning of the land would al
SO prevent an abuse that is now
more or less common. People with
children move onto land far distant
from the towns and schools. Mon
tana law says all children must be
provided with school facilities. The
result is that school districts either
must transport those children to
the already established schools or
must open school to take care OF
what is often only very few pu-
pills in some out-of-the way place.
All of this results in heavy ex-
pense and an unreasonable burden
on the taxpayer. Zoning would
stop that
An application has been made to
the II. S, department of agriculture
to provide men to classify the land
within Lincoln county, says Paul
Church, in charge of relief work in
the county. The department has
agreed to do so just as soon as il
has available men. Such men are
scarce it says, and as soon as they
finish present jobs, a crew will be
moved here After the land has
been classified it will be up to the
board of county commissioners tc
put the coming plan into effect i
the board sees fit to do SO.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
LIBBY COSTS ARE LESS

Using the same method OF comput-
ing school taxes as that of the Mon
tana Taxpayer, it is interesting to
note that while the state average
for high schools, according to the
Taxpayer, is $123.28, the local high
school operated for $ll137 per pu-
pill. In the grades the state average
cost per pupil was $91.62. The Lib
by district spent S8123 per child
School district No. 4 then, is main
tanning about $50 pupils at cost
considerably below the average fol-
the state
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Boy Scouts Take Hike.

At 8 o'clock on Saturday the trip
that was postponed a week ago was
taken by the Scouts. c. <. Powell
took the boys up the river as far as
Jennings and then they hiked up
the hill for about two miles. There
they built a small cairn and then
ate their lunch. From this point
they could look down and. get q
good view of the Dunn Greek log
ging operations. Because of the ex-
pected unfavorable weather, few
boys turned out. An overnight hike
is planned for April.
KEITH POWELL.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Did Lincoln County
Make History Last Week?

Some people ares wondering il
Lincoln county might have made q
bit of history last week when a jury
in district court elected Mrs.
Blanche Racicot to act as foreman
in the case of Mae L. Coleman VS..
Thomas D. Long, administrator OF
the Chas. W. Richards estate.
Inasmuch as the law permitting
women to act as jurors in Montana
has just gone into effect, it is be-
lieved that probably Mrs. Racicot
was the first woman in Montana
ever to have acted as foreman of a
jury.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Remodeling Manion Service
Station.

This week the enlarging and re-
modelling of the Manion service sta
ton started, under the direction
of Frank Pival. The pumps have
been moved closer to the sidewalk
making ample room for the extern
sion of the front of the building to
provide for more office room II
is expected that further improve
ments will take place in a few
months. The present addition will
be of stucco.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Planning for Civic Clubs Meeting.

The annual joint meeting of Lib
by civic clubs is scheduled to take
place Thursday, April 4, at which
time John G. Brown, prominent
Helena attorney will be the princi-
pal speaker. Mrs. Albert Hart will
render two solos after which the
speaker will be. introduced.
The following clubs will be the
sponsors of the meeting at which
the general public is invited to at.
tend, Junior and Senior Woman's
Clubs, the PIT. A., Lions and the
Libby Commercial Club.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Five File for School Trustee.

To date the following have filed
for the office of school trustee of
the Libby school district. Glen
Leckrone, Frank Hendrickson, Ru-
ben Hamann, Herman Bockman
and Otto Griep.
The election will be held Satur-
day, April 6, in the old grade school
building. The polls will be open
from IL o'clock noon until 7 p. m.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Will Give Cantata
Sunday Afternoon

The cantata, "The First East
err" by Ira Bishop Wilson, will
be presented at the Libby Meth
Odist church, Easter Sunday,
March "a, at 4:3O o'clock in
the afternoon, and at the Troy
Methodist church at 500 o'clock
in the evening.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
Taxes For
Schools Are
And|yzed
Taxpayers Association Makes
Careful Investigation of
Important Matter.
MOST COSTS SHOULD
BE MET LOCALLY

(The following article is a re-
print from the Montana Tax
payer. It discusses intelligent
ly matter OF great Importance
to every citizen, every parent,
every taxpayer. It should there
fore be read and studied.)
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21

Mr.. and Mrs. Max Sturm visited
with friends and relatives in Kali
ispell last Sunday.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21

Mr.. and Mrs. Clay Parker visited
with friends in Troy last Sunday.
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21
More Educational Activities

Unemployment of teachers as well
as OF. high school graduates, has
created demand for an expansion
of the school curriculum, vocational
education, adult education and other
activities requiring the expenditure
of additional school funds. Most of
this demand originates among edu-
Gators, and the taxpaying patrons
Continued on page y
The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1940-03-21

in 1887 and greatly increased ex-
penditures. The 1887 Legislature
again extended the privilege of pay
ing delinquent taxes without penal
ty and interest to December /, 1888
and during the past year tax collec-
tons again improved county rev.
enues.
Transportation Costs Heavy
The remarkable increase in state
funds in 1887 was due largely to
the public school general fund re-
ceiving so per cent of the Clarke
estate inheritance tax. The schools
hailed with great JOY the distribu-
ton Of Sl55 to every one of about
5000 class room units as an evidence
of the great possibilities of the pub
lie school general fund. Largely
because of the expected revenues a
compulsory state transportation
system was established which has
accounted for about half of the in
creased expenses of public schools.
A big factor in the increase of ex-
penditures has been the influence of
federal grants for buildings and i'm
provements. In 1885 debt require
ments of all pubic schools in the
state were $623, 900; in 1886, $1,210,-
600; in 1887, SINS 900; and last year
$1,570,000. In 1898 the public
schools borrowed $2,45l 900 for cap
ital outlay WPA sponsorship fol
school ground projects, together with
a greatly expanded building pro
gram has, it is true, | improved
school facilities but it has also add
ed to maintenance costs
At the same time, Montana, ir
common with many other states
has, with a declining birth rate anc
shift in population, shown !;
shrinkage in school population dur
ing the past decade. Since 1891
school expenditures have increased
from $9,949, 900 to $14,473, 900, Will,
the average daily attendance in ele
mentary and high schools ha;
dropped from 104,930 to 97,421
Schools have been abandoned il
areas now found to be unsuitable TO
farming; others have been consoli
dated; and there has been a con
centration of population in irrigate'
areas, cities, towns, and western
Montana AS result there ar
about 600 less teaching positions il
the state than there were six year
ago.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01

Mir. Phillips said Kaufmann that you thought Costers Idea of start ing a Canadian O., was n good gesture" "What did you mean by 'gesture'"p
 Phillips said he thought 1t was a good idea to take out corporation papers in Canada, as the act of es- tablishlng a corporation would cost only $2,000 and that he had sound faith in Coster who suggested the idea.
 "The word gesture brought about much argument between the witness and Atty. Kaufmann, with Atty, Corbin, Mir. Phillips attorney, in- tervening constantly.
 Atty. Kaufmann then started to read from the grand jury record the testimony of MT. Phillips on the word gesture. Immediately Atty. Corbln insisted that the Grand Jury record be entered as an exhibit for Identification"
 Atty. Kaufmann stated that the record of the Grand Jury was secret and private Lut Atty, Corbin said 1t was used In this case and he as counsel for Phillips was entitled to sec the record.
 This brought up one Of the big legal questions of the whole case.
 Court adjourned with Judge Grov- CT Moscowitz telling the U, s. At- torney and Att Corbin to look up law and report in court early at to- days session with citations to prove their contentious
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01

hte Norwegians and hte Swedish volunteers were in complete control of Roeros.
 Not Of Importance
 Norwegian military authorities here had asserted to me yesterday that there were large numbers of German troops between Roeros ana Tynset but that from the military viewpoint theire positions were not so great ir portance particularly as reRarts an advance northward from Roeros to Stoeren. They said that ihe Roeroy.Stoeren road was too narrow for large trucks needed 70 take heavy supplies and that bridges and tunnels along the roaas' which are not good, had been oy" namited by Norwegians.
 All recent reports had been that the Germans from the start had never left large forces at Roeros' preferrlng to concentrate their man along the road between Tynset ana Ulsberg for an attack on the Allieo D m b aas-Stoeren communication line.
 It was suggested here today that the Norwegians and the Swedish volunteers had used atctics at Roe ros similar to those which the Films used with great success in their open warfare against the Russians, utilizing small patrols for surprise attacks,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01
NAzI TROOPS EVACUATE ROEROS
tcontinued rom Page D

(Contlnued rom Page D hours yesterday, hitting a British destroyer and setting 1t afirc, kill ing and wounding many persons and doing great damage.
 On the far North Narvik front Germans were reported driven out of Gratangen, l2 l-2 miles north of Narvik, with heavy losses.
 Entering Roeros during the night in small, inconspicuous groups, ac. cording to the reports, the Norweg- ian troops and their Swedish vol- unteer aides quietly took up posi- tons in allsyWays and back streets.
 At 6 @! m., 1t was asserted, they debouched Into the center of the city and attacked all German pat rolS.
 The Germans were taken com pletely by surprise, 1t was said, and were able to put up only slight re- sistance.
 According to the reports, which were circumstantial though not confirmed, the Germans at once began to fall back southward along the road which leads to Tynset, 28 miles to the southwest. This is the main road back to Oslo, up which the Germans had advanced, and from which German motorized column had branched off at Tynset to cross the mountain passes to the Ulsberg area In an attempt to sever the Allied lines between Dombaas and Stoeren.
 It was asserted that at present ---------- tossed them into the air at Galcando, Ill.
 Kentucky and Tennessee cities re- ported high winds that damaged communications and power lines and caused some property losses. Thun- derstorms accompanied the wind, At Nashville, Tenn, Ill inches of rain fell in five hours.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01
DANBURY HAS HAT
 STRIKE TODAY

(Continued from Page D
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01
.TORNADOES KILL
 ELEVEN PERSONS

Continued from Page D
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01

CContinued rum Page D officials for patrols and to keep motorists out of the lowland areas where the gas had settled. They feared the gas might be ignited.
 Hits After Dark
 The gyrating storm struck Frank ston, a Henderson county town of BOO, shortly before dark. Mary Lee Cook, one, was drowned when Q cloudburst that accompanied the storm swept wall of water through concrete highway culvert where the child's mother, Mrs. Ted Cook, had sought refuge. The rush. ing waters pulled the child from Mrs. Cooks arms. Twelve houses in Frankston were damaged by the wind.
 Two persons were killed at Rich land, Tex, when the twister demol- ished the James McNeecc home, a barn and several garages, The dead were McNeece, 65, and his son, Cecil, 45. Two negro laborers were killed at Bertrand, Mo.
 At Tull, Ark, six persons were killed and half the buildings of the small village were destroyed. Several injured were taken to neighboring cities of Benton and BauXite. Dam age was estimated at about '$3,000,
 A white farmer and an unidenti- fed negro were killed north of Sikeston, Mo, and 0 small boy was fatally injured at Bertrand, Mo, near Sikeston.
 Half of Buildings Down
 Half the buildings at Chaffee, Mo, n town of 5000, were demolished and McMullcn, Mo, Scott county hamlet, was reported wiped out, Members of the Cape Girardeau, Mo, service company national guard were sent to the wrecked areas for patrol duty and to assist a unit of the i40th infantry, U. s. army, sta- toned at Chaffee.
 The winds progressed northeast ward across Scott county, Missouri, splintering rural homes, demolishing farm buildings and ripping up com- munications lines. The storm lifted suddenly and reappeared at Cache and Cairo, I'll. The latter city was cut of from all communications lines for several hours. There were no reports immediately of deaths but the wind was reported so vio- lent that 1t lifted automobiles and
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-05-01

A. ?. Powers of New York City, Ar- hold Mengel and Laurence Russe of st. Louis, Mo, and William Morri. son of Lake Forest, Ill.
 After Rochester" put on his act for the Harvard students 1t was sug- gested that the M. I. T. hoax issue be settled outside" The hall emp. tied immediately and the battle started in Harvard yard.
 No one was reported injured, but Harvard yard policeman William Murphy was among the casualties. He was soused when a water bomb fell on his head.