Montana labor news., 1949-06-16
" The Montana Labor News will
NON n n1~1/11 not be responsible for Views of their
ODC1I W IVSIV correspondents.
LINING CITY PEOPLE SHOULD PAYING
TAXES UNTIL BUTTE WATER co. PAYS THEIRS

after receiving this letter he was APP
pointed collector OF internal revenue
inr the state. The company how
ever mus, have had some knowledge
oi the letter as shortly afterwards
values on water rights were not IN
cluded in the Butte Mater Com
pany's annual reports To the Board
oi EQUALIZATION or the Public Scrv-
ice Commission. \ water right
valued at over a million dollars,
could not fly out the window, neither
could il fall in the river and drown,
SO we must conclude that the water
company's neglect III including the
value OF these water rights i'll their
annual reports. was a deliberate at
tempt to eyade extra tax, due the
City Of Butte and School District
No. l..
In the ease OF the Federal Power
Commission IS. the Montana Power
Company, heard in the federal court
in Butte in 1913. Mr.. Kelly, chair
man OF the board OF the Anaconda
Copper Mining Company. when tcS-
~tifving as a witness Tor the Montana
Power Company. stated that water
rights never decreased in value. but
on the contrary values always in
creased, due to the TACT that the de
mand Tor water rights, greatly cN-
cceded the supply.
May Have to Put Heat on Board of
Equalization
Ii will possibly he necessary ior
Your august body to apply 10 the
supreme court Tor a writ OF man
damus. compelling the Board OF
Equalization to set a value on the
water rights that are the property
OF the Butte Mater Company Due
diligence should be given to see that
the proper valuation is placed there
on. II these water rights had a
value Of over a million dollars i'll
1882. according To Mr.. Kelly they
have a greater value now than they
had at that time.
In regards to the collection OF the
back taxes due. this can be taken
care OF in due time. or as soon as
the proper valuation is set.
am enclosing a printed copy Of
a letter wrote Mr.. Kelly about a
year ago relative to these taxes, a
| believe it will give YOU a clearer
picture OF the facts in this case thar
have been able to transmit to yol
in this letter.
know our county officials hay,
the ability and the integrity to han
die this tax situation in a name
fair and equitable 10 all concerned
and any threat 20 withhold take
now due. is entirely out of reason
and should not be considered.
Officers Must Be Aware of
Delinquencies
Several articles have been pub
lished. regarding the non-payment o
these taxes by the Butte Wate
Company. and il is almost a certain
tv that our county officials ar
aware OF this delinquency, so VIII
should they crack down on an in
dividual who is trying to make a
honest living in a dishonest worlc
when the largest corporation il
the state has been eyading the pay
ment OF taxes for over forty year.
In times past some Of our peopl
have set up our two largest corpora
tons as some kind OF Gods, an
would bestow on them the right t
r rule all OF us, but times hay
| changed and the day is passed whe
; large corporations and even 70,
. atty. are held immune to the rule
Il regulations and conditions til a
T govern the so-called common peopl
q Hoping this communication will
{ some manner help in solving tn
very annoying tax problem, | a
sincerely, PAT c. SULLIVAN.
= From The Peoples Vol
=
Letter to Mr.. Kelly referred I
n in this article will be publisheN
l. next week June 23rd) if copy !
r available.
Fair NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.?
Nine states now have f.EP.
laws on the books. C%onnecticl