The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-08-21

.luded within Indian reservation,
,r held in trust by the United
States for the benefit of any In
iian; go administered under the
,erms of the Taylor Grazing Act, as
amended, co sold by the United
States upon an agreement providing
that title shall remain in the United
States until the purchase price Is
paid in full, or CD leased by the
United States for valuable con-
sideration.
The money thus paid annually to
each state shall then be appor-
toned among the counties in such
state on the basis of the fair value
of such lands which are situated
in each county: Provided that there
shall not be paid to any county out
of its apportionment for any fiscal
year a sum in excess of 40 per
centum of the total expenditures OF
such county for the preceding fiscal
year, and the amount of the appor-
tionment of such county which is
not SO paid shall be expended by
the state for general school pur-
poses in such manner as the leglS-
lature of the state may direct
The purpose of this act is to pro-
vide for counties in which there
are large bodies of federally owned
land, money to take the place Of
taxes that would come into the
county if the land was privately
owned
An organization has been formed
in a number of western states in
which there is much federally
owned land, said organization work
ing for enactment of this legislation.
The bill is now before congress,
and petitions are being widely circ-
ulated and signed urging passage
of the bill. The Lincoln county COM
missioners are strongly in favor OF
the legislation and County Commits
sioner Hoisington is seeing to the
circulating of the petition here. The
petition reads as follows:
Petition to the Congress Of the
United States praying for the pay.
mcnt Of money In lieu Of taxes 4
all counties having within theil
borders federally owned land.
4 To the Honorable Senate ant
House Of representative in tn,
Congress OF the United States o
America: Your petitioners, all o
, whom are tax payers, respectful,
NJ represent thnt - - 90
} Whereas, There are III the eleve
] Public Land States Of the West owe
275, OO0, 900 acres of tax free land
i owned by the Federal Government
and held in national forests, ma
: tional parks. national monument.
! national wild life refugees, nations
grazing land acquisition project
/ Indian reservations, Indian trus
: lands and other governmental agen
!, cies. and
Whereas, the United States ne
Y tional park organization has CO
t lected over $4,000 100000 in gate n
{. ceiDts at the Yosemite national par
and nearly S5,000,000.00 at the Ye
r lowstone national park and has mex
: er paid dollar toward the upkee
n or cost of county government in an
# of the counties in which they al
h located, and
G Whereas, the remaining acres /
1t the counties in which such lands al
t located have to give to the Unite
=, States Government and TO the PEI
e pie who live within such nation
e forests full set of county office
e including a Sheriff who makes a
: rests of persons accused Of crime a
legged to have been committee
: within such national forests, a Di
d trict Attorney who must prosecu
q the accused, a Judge Of the Cou
st who must preside at the trial,
ID Clerk to record the proceeding
l. must board the prisoner until
re jury which is also paid by t
70 County brings in its verdict, mt
/ continue to board the prisoner
id the jury finds him guilty until Sc
10 tence is passed, and afterwards
1e an appeal is taken from felo
" judgment the county must pay
A. expenses incident to such appe
. and
" Whereas, the privately own
r. lands of said counties nave to fun
it ish schools for the education of |
" children who live within such I
10 tional forests, providing buildin
teachers, lanitors, conveyances
or the children of school age to a
to from school and paying all other I
or penses of operating such schot
a. and,
to Whereas, these federally owr
as counties have to pay for medi
ia attendance, food, clothing, shell
m and finally the funeral expenses
NJ all indigents who reside or have
mi sided within the confines of 81
i national forests; and
he Whereas the government is c
,rk stantly purchasing privately owl
nla lands withdrawing the same Fl
Tas assessment and taxation for natl
ar al forests, national parks and OF
,av purposes thereby improverish
the counties from which the lant
III. withdrawn; and
=, Whereas, many counties in
val Western states are overburde
~ with taxation on account of
~ withdrawal from sale, settlen
- and taxation of these large tract
land; and
Whereas, the American Fore