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***** Historical Library ;/iJ * T on„ r ^ Belt Valley TimeT* Of 'F * ■sster BELT, MONTANA, THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1924. VOLUME THIRTY. NUMBER FORTY-THREE. »2.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE TAXES MOST COME DOWN v Of interest to taxpayers of Mon tana is a recent article in The Na tion's Business, written by Lewis E. Pierson, chairman of the board, Irving Bank-Columbia Trust Corn pany of New York, of which the fol lowing is an abstract: It is estimated that the national in come—the combined earnings of the entire country—amounts to about 458,000,000,000 a year. Out of that 68 billion dollar income, the Ameri can public is being asked to contribute more than seven billion dollars to maintain its national, state and local governments. Out of every hundred dollars that an American earns, he meat, therefore, pay 12 dollars to some government official before he can buy anything for himself or for his family. According to the official figures, there are 41,000,000 people in the United state* who are above the age of 16, and who are employed in some gainful occupation and who therefore represent the nation's earning power. Since the year 1913 the federal, state and local g o ver n ments have added 127,000,000,000 to their debt, thus making a total government debt in the United States of $32,000,000.000. This means—assuming that the bur den of debt and taxation can be even ly distributed—that every workman, every stenographer, every clerk and every mechanic in the country is in debt for his government to the ex tent of $787. This obligation must be paid through taxes. „ In the business communities of the United States there is a profound sentiment for immediate tax reduc tion. The business men who under stand the full import of a $32,000, 000,000 debt ad a yearly tax bill of 17,000X100,000 recognise the menace to prosperity which these huge fig ures represent It is not the business man alone who demand» tax reduc tion. The fanner, the workman, the clerk and the mechanic are beginning - to understand that taxes play a con siderable part in the high cost of liv ing. Somewhere and somehow every dollar of the $7,000,000,000 we pay each year in taxes tends to increase the price of the commodities of com merce and is consequently reflected _ in living costs _ ■ Let us suppose that, from causes we cannot now define, the United States should begin to fall from its present prosperous state into a con tinned period of depression and hard — rimes. Let us further suppose that the National Government failed to economize and continued or increased the present high rate of taxation. We know that during the brief period of depression in 1921 unemployment rapidly increased and federal income taxes were in a vast number of cases paid out of borrowing or past savings instead of out of current earnings. We know that there were thousands of instances where the amount of the federal income tax meant the differ ence between profit and loss. Our experience shows, therefore, that re duction in taxes represents, according to the amount of the reduction; insur ace against unemployment, and that the more taxation increases the great er possibility there is of slowing down industry and of throwing men out of work. The American people will mark and indicate by their action on tax re duction plans that they think more of fancied political advantage than they do of national poaperity. —MONTANA TAXPAYERS ASS'N. Bill Martin, old-timer in Montana, Cascade county and Belt, was in town Saturday. He had jnat returned from Neihart and Barker and informed os that with the present price of lead and sine, the Block P mine at Hughes rille ia one of the biggest mining proposi tions in the state. He states that a number of motor trucks and outfits are hauling ore to Mon arch all the time and that if the rmil road were hade in there the old camp would fhrü read up the coulee which te now Bill Martin graded the the Great Falla grade. He also built the He haa always ing and c on trac tin g. engaged in team of Holland" Auditorium Fri.Ni 4 ■ W ' [ i t Amid SctMagai IM Arnvid Schoidager of Great Falls, bat formerly of Belt, died Wednesday morning at the Co him bus hospital af ter an illness of a month. He was a member of the sophomore class of the Great Palls high school, was 14 years of age and had been elected a member of the Boys' senate there. He was a wonderful student and ranked high in all classes although his work in the Latin coarse bad won him special mention. He is survived by his parents, two sisters and one brother. The funeral was held at two o'clock Saturday af ternoon from the Methodist church in Great Falls. The Rev. George Meck lenburg officiated. The Scholdager family moved from Belt to Great Falls about two yean ago and the head of the family haa since been "practicing there. The chil dren were famous here for their re markably precocious intellects and are well remembered by school friends. Jos. Leveill« was attending to bus iness matters in Great Falls Monday. MAY PURIFY BELT CREEK THIS YEAR The members of the Great Falls Sportsmen'! association met with rep resentatives from the outside on last Friday night. The chief topic of dis cussion was the cleaning of the do the square thing. No one has any desire to curb mining operations in the state hut the public has certain up waters of Belt creek made uninhabit able for fish by the slum from the Silver Dyke mine at Neihart. Mr. Wampler, superintendent of the Silver Dyke Mining company, was present and appeared willing to assist in any way in remedying the situation. It appears that the state laws give the citizens no relief from this condi tion and that only voluntarily can the corporations be induced to alleviate condition«. It is said that there is a man in the east who has invented a method of clarifying streams from the slum of mining operations. To get this man here ia expensive, but the Dyke com pany has agreed to pay half the ex pense if the Sportsmen's association will pay the other half. Thi s should be done at once. The public has been exceedingly consider •ate -and has given the- mining com pay plenty of time to get set and to ) inherent rights particularly when they were there first. We shall always be glad to assist in any way to restore Belt creek to ifcs former condition of beauty and make it once more the sportsman's paradise and a recreation ground for the farmers in this vicinity, the cit izens of Great Falls and tourists throughout the state. We have waited patiently for evi dence that there is an attempt in good faith to keep the slum out of Belt creek. PAST MASTER'S NIGHT TUESDAY The Masons held Past Master's night Tuesday evening of this week. Ibère was a large attendance of local members and out-of-town visitors. The retiring Master, J. R. Culver, was presented with a gold watch in lien of a Past Master's jewel, Leo C. Grayhill made the presentation speech. After routine business Mr. Charterte of Great Fall* gave an instructive lec ture based upon the Morgan case. This was followed by Mr, Duncan, also of Great Falls, who gave an eloquent ad dress upon the home-life of the Amer ican people. This was followed by three reels of travel pictures. After the program the crowd adjourned to the Black Diamond cafe where a smoker was held. Among those present were Messrs. Black, Charterte, Lloyd, Duncan and Simons of Great Falls, and Messrs. Fish, Gruel, Beckstrom and Magnuson of Raynesford. Principal West and Win. P. Pilgeram were in attendance from Armington. to Unconfirmed report* say an African Hen swallowed a flivver a few weeks ago. He forgot to shut off the en gine, however, and shook to death hi IS Minutes CITY ELECTION IS TAME AFFAIR. MILLARD AND (WIN REELECTED The vote at the city election held in the three wards of the city of Belt on Monday lest resulted in the re election of Mayor Millard and City Treasurer C. H. Provin. J. S. Pear son was elected police magistrate and Barber, Remington and Morris were elected aldermen. The vote in detail and by warda is given below: For Mayor— 86 - First Second Third Ward Ward Ward 60 30 $6 Millard .. Spogen . . Boboth . Brodie .. City Treasurer— Provin 4 0 . 1 .. 1 .49 Police Magistrate— Pearson .. Bramlette Jaap Fluhr . Sundermeier 3 .8 3 1 i For Alderman—First Ward— Dunston . » . . . . . Barber .._.. Morris .. Hsrner ...... ... *0 .22 2 i For Alderman—Second Ward— Remington ... Holt ..... r... 11 Sj Twenty Years Ago NOW YOU'BNS LAUGH. T. E. Healey received the following communication from Geo. Reeves A Company, publishers of the EganviH* Star-Enterprise, which for pur» un limited, unadulterated gall would take the scent away from a Hmburger cheese: Eganville, Ont, Mar. 24, 1903. We recently received a communication from the postmaster at St. Louis, Mo., stating that there!nail was n0 suc j, a postoffice as Belt in Montana. Kindly give a» y our pro p er 4 address so that we may continue send ing our paper and oblige, Yours very truly. „ ______ ..y. J Geo. Reeves 4 Co. Well, if that wouldn't knock the spots off the sun and give an earth quake the shivers, what would? No such place as Belt in Montana; absolutely wiped off the map and that by a Missouri postmaster. That long, lean, lanky, corn-fed, pumpkin dyed, son of a state of ignorance dassentj come up to Belt and say that. Can it be that they have a law in Missouri forbidding the people of that country I to study the geography of foreign j tands ? Here in a spot that we love j better than a Missourian his com bread and molasses, John K. Castner ha# grown gray and E. R. Clingan bald-headed advancing a prairie town into a city. They have seen their idol, wiped off the map by an illiterate Missouri postmaster. A town that ha# grown from a lone cabin on the banks of a flowing brook, when Belt Butte was a lake, to a town of 4,000 inhabitants, where the freight re-1 T. E. Healey, Esq., Belt, Mont. Dear Sir: Time to Prune Shade Trees Victor Siegel, Veteran Botte Gardener, Given Some Expert Advice "Now is the time to look after your tree* and see if they need pruning and if they do, be careful," Victor Siegel, veteran gardener of Columbia Gardens, told member* of the Univer sity club ét the luncheon at the New Pinien yesterday. Mr. Siegel spoke on "Timely Hints and Suggestions on Shade Trees." He made members of the dub sit up and take notice when be assured them that it would only be a few days before the snow and cold weather wer» things of the past and the thoughts of everybody In Butte would be turned toward their lawns, gardens and trees, "In the last few years we havr had great deal of trouble with our shade •••• 1S 2 Wltft-ed Blais and wife left on train Mo. 43 Sunday for a sixty-day trip to Beattie, Portland and other coast joints. Wilfred is the son of Cyprian g fus of Spring Creek and has been troridng in the machine shop at the Great Northern roundhouse in Great Falls for 18 months. Bohle Mrs. Nohl For Alder mai ■orris. pramlette ..... Browning . -Third Ward— BROWNING RE-ELECTED. The school election held Saturday for District No. 29 was a tame affair. The present incumbent of the position te be filled had been renominated and 4M re was no opposition. N. H. Browning received 191 votes and there here seven ballots cast for other par The judges were Mrs. Larkin. Epperson and Fred Sunde rmeier. The school board for the next year will consist of Fred Burrow«, Chas. Brovin, Dominic Spogen, Jude Rubber EL Mr#. John Prévost and son Jack of Geyser were visiting Mrs. Jos. Leveille early this week. not on the map! A town where you can get the dou ble cross on anything from a foot race to a hurryup marriage and yeti we are informed that we are not Montana. Simply becauae Missouri is not in the United States, they have - ceipta are $90,000 a month; with three or four trains a day, and em ploying 1,000 men in the mines, with TOO and six-bits worth of kids on each mock, and a postmaster drawing an annual pension from Uncle Sam $1,800, and a payroll that would ele vate one of God's chosen people to the seventh heaven, knocked into a cocked hat by a Missouri postmaster. It is enough to make one cry out in the j fiery voice of Mary McLane, Damn 1 damn! damn! Come good devil and that Missouri son of darkness by the nape of the neck and drag him d ow n to that Iceles» re g i o n an d -eet him ôn a hot coal until he learns the geography of Montana, or at least is able to locate the coal metropolis of the west. Belt, noted for its sulphur smoke, numerous children and countless dogs, no reason to slander the fair, but sul phur colored name of Belt, and when the commissioners get through decid ing the mahogany-birch question, they will be called upon to demand satis faction from that Missouri post master. Belt haa been insulted, her flag trailed in the mud and blood alone will satiafy her gallant sons. War on Missouri is declared, and though it is painful to do it, we will capture that isolated tract and annex it to the United States.—Written by J. J. G. Burns for The Belt Knocker. trees," he said, "especially from all kinds of insects. Moat of our shade tree* in this city are the Canadian pop lar, the most suitable tree for this climate, and so far we have not yet discovered any other shade tree that can take its place. It grows well, hai the foliage and shape, and if properly taken care of will always give satis faction. "If your trees need pruning, have the work done by a man who ha* had experience. Many trees by «evere pruning, become diseased and die. Moat of the trees in our city are now large and need very little pruning. Jnat cut out the branch« that inter fere with each öfter. The les# you cut the better, as the tree will take care of itself. I am not in favor of trim-I (Continued on Page Pour) Finds Ancrant StahtH Early this week Joe Voytoski start ed digging, in the back yard of his father's place at French Coulee to learn the cause of the sinking of the earth over à small area. After dig ging down several feet they encoun tered the remnants of a rough coffin and the bones of the upper part of a skeleton. These bones were brought 10 town and turned over to Dr. Gray beal. An effort has been made to dis cover the identity of the person buried at this place. Nearly forty years has passed since the burial was made but old-timers think that the remains are those of a man by the name of Hobson who kept a saloon about where Holt's Lumber yard now is. This man had had both legs cut off just below the knees and walked around on pads. Later in a fit of despondency he committed sui cide by cutting his throat. He was buried by neighbors at the mouth of French Coulee, there being no ceme tery in use at that time except the one near the House ranch on Lower Belt. It is supposed that there are two oth *r smtves near the location of this. NEW MINE TA» FOR MONTANA Helens.—The right to tax metal mines of Montan« upon the fair and equitable gross production basis is to be carried to the people of the «Ute in a measure to be initiated for sub mission to the voter, at the next gen eral election. The work of circulât ing the petitions is undertaken by committee of 100 prominent cltisens from every section of the state. That such a measure will receive popular support «.ready te indicted by the offers of assistance that are pouring i„ to the committee, in charge of placing the measure upon the ballot for decision of the cltteen* in November. The bill as to be'submitted to the people, is declared not to incrca. taxation, but to equalize the burden of providing revenue, for the state government among mining, agricul ture, business and the various other industries of the Tre.sur. ststs. B.sed upon the production for 1928, the me« sure will raise approximately $600,000 from natural resnurre.« of M o nt a n a which now escape axation entirely or pay but a small portion in comparison with other industries, ..... Proceeds of the metals mines tax will be divided equally between the public schools and the state treasury, , Direct benefits of the lew will be re ceived b ? ever Y chl,d of school age » th * 8t *te and other »**«« for school purposes will be reduced to the ex n ' o1 * q^rter million dollars, if 1 th « fi *"re, on 1928*. production hold S ood af * a basis for estimate. The bill will in no way work a hard ship upon the prospector and small mine owner. The tax is graduated and it is only after production of $600, 000 annually is reached that the 1 per cent tax becomes operative and col lectable. Under the bill's provisions all mines with a gross production of less than $100,000 annually are ex empt from the tax. Mines whose gross production exceed* $100,000 and does not exceed $260,000 are to be taxed one-fourth of 1 per cent of the value of the production; mines whose gross product value exceeds $226,000 and doea not exceed $400,000 will pay one-half of 1 per cent; mines whose production yields more than $400,000 annually and does not exceed $600,000 will pay three-fourths of 1 per cent, METHODIST CHURCH NOTES. Harry T. 8tong. Pastor. Evangelistic services in the church each evening, except Saturdays, from now until Easter. " Sunday morning worship at 11 o' clock. Sermon by the pastor, "The Triumphal Entry." Evening service at 7:30. the Matter With the Church?" The evening sermon will have something to do with this question. Sunday school at 10 o'clock. Junior League at 8 o'clock. T7 1 m niMin t f L T a a , *■*■ m m t A(9A Bjywwnn ®x o.ov. What's Bob Mahood has returned to Gilman where he and his brother run « garage. WAGE WAR ON COUNTY UNIT demned the county unit system of ns mi school administration now in af Red Lodge.—Farmers of the Pwv erty Flats district unanimously oost feet in Carbon county, at a at the Frank Wieter ranch. They agreed that, in the event voters fail to abolish the system at the tion April 28, the residents of the four districts represented would to form s second class and get a from the unit administration in manner. There were 76 voters et. Mr. Wieler was chairman. The assembly voted to employ W. J, Hanna of Big Timber to canvas« the county for the abolition of the system. Word was received Friday by C. T. Oliver that Mr. Hanna accept the offer. Ha win begin work promptly, according to Mr. Ottvar. - - Extravagance was the chief brought against the county unit qe t*m, said Mr Oliver. Some of farmers present exhibited tax oeipts which showed increases in the last four years ashlgh as $100 on a single piece of property. It was urged that these increases ware in large measure caused J>y the change te method of rural school administrer tion. A similar meeting was held at r those present ot *■ «"their view« as termers of the Poverty Flat rea ident V At Bd »«' mating there we ™ thoB€ who dw, «* d t* 1 * ■^•™was morecostly mal ^«•• who .rgued that in the end the coun * y m,t £ bettor tor the co ®? ty .*r** th * n ^ d ^ f" or ZLSSÏZlSZk , h ™ hy th * W80 **^ F * J* ofaMtog [districts, they argue ateo tK* mM,y * t *J"* ri * * thsory that eorrectioa «houldbe £ . - - A ^ } t n / n i , t . ,yst * , ** curtaiI the Ien,rth of t ® e,r t * rm * «"■ . Belt Girls Florence Newmack Anna Zuhoski Helen Velebir ..... Ethel Ranta Annie Klimas .. girls, one to six months, according to Cows ty Superintendent Elle M. Peterson. Some school* in the sparsely po pulst ed districts will probably be closed entirely, she said.—Helene Indep en d ent. Grade Teams Get An Even Break On Saturday night basketball teases representing the grade girls and the grade boys went to Raynesford to try conclusions with the teams there. The result was an evep break. The Belt boy* lost their game while the Belt girls won theirs. —Raynesford Girt* Helen Brutofski Angeline ColarcWk Left Forward Gladys Fteh Bight Forward I »Vine Center .Ella Skadaasi Left Guard .Irene CoiareMk* Right Guard _ Mary Evans Substitutes Score 32 to 18 in favor of the The game between the boys was closer: Raynesford Belt Boys— Myron Johnson . Charles CoiareMk Right Forward Henry Coster ' .Ru*sc! Forward Lloyd FM Henry LarkD» ...... 0MMÉT .Nick Eveam Myron Robinson . Left Guard Chas. KHmas .... Right Guard Albert Grève Ray Kennedy . Foster Irwin . V Substitutes Score 18 to 21 in Raynesford's fa Henry Vaskey refereed bowl to the satisfaction of everyone Sterner chaperoned the Belt people.