Show TAXING MIN MINING ING lug PRO peo PROPERTY P E R TY THE heavy indebtedness of U montana on and the consequently heavy taxation there with the recommendation menda men dation tion of governor Obier nor non Totts potts in 14 his bis message to the Leg legislature lature ta td increase the reve revenue n liean in order orden to lighten the ind indebtedness aud and and prevent further debt are inducing a feeling in favor of the taxation n of mining property hith hitherto eito exempt in part in common with other property in thab that territory that thu the former aa s well as the lattera latter iatter may 3 help to bear the public burd burdens e ns A writer in th the e new rew ay mattil pta cesi W elj advocates this idea in manner like the follow following ing in the early days of our territory T 0 this was considered almos almost t exclusively clu a mining raining country and acting kon eon on the presumption that all industries must depend on the mines for their prosperity our law makers deemed it judicious t to 0 exempt certain classes s of mining property from taxation before were incurred and while taxes were comparatively insignificant this tati iati unequal equal distribution of taxation was submitted b to without a murmur circumstances anu conditions had hai v changed and tho the e d taxpayers can now justly I 1 that all ali available e bou sou sources aces of reve re ve nu shall be made mado to contribute fo wa r d sustaining the financial cre ere credit dit 0 of r the counties and territory As ti the ie subject of taxing mines minerals and other property now exempt 1 is one of vital concern to taxpayers s it on themas them as being most directly interested to recommend to our legislature to so revise and eo so amend our revenue laws that by a more extended and equitable assessment a larger revenue with less oppressive taxation may maj may be secured the present financial status of some of our counties is such that a eg high tax under existing laws merely affords sufficient reven revenue ue to pay accruing interest and government expense expenses with the most judicious adminis administration fration whereas tha the assessment of mines and anck all other property now unfairly exempt would inmost in most cases give an increase in lii valuation of one fourth which after a judicious reduction lon lod of cent tax would yield an addition of twenty per cent to the present revenue no one will deny that the correct theory of taxation is to assess all property once a year at its ita cash eash value valued at private salem sale saie but is there any conceivable behson reason that this aa all should not include 0 ore re bullion and mines the miner who can cash his mineford mine for fon is as veritably worth that amount as the merchant mechanic niec hanic or ranchman who possesses that value d Is equally able to pay taxes thereon for illustration we will suppose the quartz mill proprietor at the time th ore ard and bullion to td the tb 6 amount of bood 1 is there any more plausible reason for exempting these fr frono am aa as bessm ent than there would bo be to for fon exempting X the of and machinery in a foundry or wool and cloth cioth in a factory miner owns a mine and has ou on the duran dump a lant quantity jant ity of ores the pro duct ducr of thib this 1 mine for both of tere is lew isu a merchantable value the farmer is possessor of a ii farm and a bin of grain the product of this farm Is there any perceptible cep tible reason that they should shoula not all ali alike br b taxed op their eash cash value the hypothesis that all industries of bf the territory depend oli off the mines for support is a fallacy long exploded by natural pro gress gresa the stock growing business which has haa rapidly grown r gown fown to important magni magui magnitude tude tudd an and gd from which a large ar g p proportion ro portion of our revenue is der derived 1 v e d is to comparatively independent of the mines then may we not justly conclude from a dispassionate survey ot of allabe alla the circumstances that the exi emi exigencies geneles of the case demand that ores or bullion and all operated minel held heid under local territorial or gel gei general leral iams laws and all othe other r property no now W exem exempt t except public proper property to imade taxable 1 I am awa awn aware thau ihal this ia Is an unpopular subject nna ud one that has haa been delicately handled by legislators and the press and it is even intimated by bome some that the legislator who would take an active lead int in support of this measure would consign himself to tu autu future re political obloquy but the d dar ages have passed and under the pre present sent enlightened civilization the zealous advocate of Jui justlee justice tico and ard equity can rest assured of a 4 just fust reward of froman from orom an 1 intelligent h t ea constituency and nd it is hafe safe ini in this case to assert that nine tenth tenths ilof of the miners of this terri as a class are reasonable intelligent and generous are ready reddy and willing to accept the situations situation and are toniy Tonly too modest to puli pull publicly liely solicit the privilege of sharing equally with their fellow citizens the burdens of taxation the financial exhibit presented ed by the governor in fn his late mess message age to the legislature showed the e de dd financial condition of soffia soma some of our counties accompanied by his very suggestive remedy viz v 1 reduction of expenses and of revenues I 1 I 1 |