Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1873-11-29

to Sl3,62l,lI4, whilet he column of
money, notes and accounts" where
said Indebtedness should appear.
aggregate only s9,030,672. which is
too significant OF itself to need further
com ment.b 4A
| The assessable property Of the State
| for the preseut year was returned at
so7 .652. .69l. Deducting Indebtedness
and exemption amounting to s16.9S2,
E532, the total taxable property
amounted to $40, ,700,l59. The
| result OF equalization increases this sum
to S45, ,688,92494.
| With the exception of MuItnomah
county, the assessments of the outside
or border counties were nearer u cash
valuation than in the counties situated in
the Willamette Valley, which include
the more desirable aud valuable lands,
because OF cultivation aud convenient
means OF transportation OF products; to
markets OF exchange, The assessments
TO agricultural lands generally, with
the exception Of five counties, were so
palpably below their actual valuation as
to make an equalization, by an
addition per centage on the gross
assessment, malrer OF the sheerest
justice. SD imperfect aud unfair have
been some of the assessments, that
lands Tor which $50 per acre have been
offered an1 declined, have been
assessed at IS per acre; and in no
county in the Willamette Valley, have
the agricultural lands been assessed at
any figures approximating cash
valuation, but as there was no assess
mcnt IN single instance approxima-
| tiIg a cash valuation Of such property,
no increase could be made, the Borrd
having to do only with the equalization
Of assessments. These facts must be
borne In consideration 10 reviewing the
work Of the Board 10 tho matter of
| equalization.
| For teh frrt time in the statistics
of tie State there is an exhibit of tie
| uumber and value of the different
kinds of live stock. lts affords graf
flying information. The more dlv,r
sitied the products of country the
more ASSURED is its prosperity and
wealth.
In the counties east OF the noun.
tains the assessment OF live stock gen.
orally approached nearer the cash value
than elsewhere, save In the one county
already named. la three of the chic :
est agricultural counties of the State,
convenient to water and railroad trans
portation, the average assessment Of
cattle was from IS 96 TO Sll 80 per
head; while in the two extreme
southern counties, Jackson aud Jo>
sephine, the average exceeded SIG per
head in the counties of Clatsop aud
Coumbia SO 80 and S2l 9S respect
ivelg; and in Baker, Grant, and Wasco
counties, from Sl5 66 t. Sl7 56.
In equalizing the assessments of the
lands belonging to the grants to wagon
road companies, comprising Asa, ,562
acres, the Board took into consdera
tion that they were withheld from pres
ent settlement for speculative purpo.
ses, aud deemed that the Government
price, 81 %, at which they w>re as
sessed in one county, although at
higher price in another, was proper
assessment for such lands, excepting
those 10 Wasco county, which were
eaualized at 40 cents, on account of
their remoteness aud inferior charac-
Ter of soil The lands Of the Euro
pean and Oregon Land Company, em~
bracipg 192, ,5l4 acres were likewise
viewed as held for speculative purposes,
and their assessment was equal
lied to the highest assessment--Sl 90
in the central counties, aud in other
localities at 81 % per acre. Some of
the lands of the railroad grant have
been sold at much higher figures /;
they were all conveyed TO the present
company at 81 20 per acre, aud are
held for sale at q price beyond that
rate.
In conclusion, we have the honor to
submit the accompanying tabular
statements as part of this report. 1t is
believed that they contain valuable
statistical information that may be
useful in the future, 10 legislating and
otherwise at all events they will serve
to show in part the labors- OF the Board
ln the duties Of equalization
! Exhibit "A is table of the acre>
age, average valUe per acre, and gross
value of land, exclusive Of grants to
corporations, in each county of the
State. and per cent OF increase after
4 equalization. 1t shows an aggregate
of 3, $50, 394 acres, and the assessed
value of 19,0I0,508. with the value as
equa!zed of S22 ,221 1891 so.
Exhibit "B" is table of the num-
Dor and gross and average values Of
stock in each county of the State, and
per cent of increase after equalization.
Ii gives 65,7S9 horses; assessed vaiue,
s2,5S9,6 6l7; equalized value. 3,0SO ,227;t
=