Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-12-21

ton to the st. Paul PiOneer-Press, but
to no other papers, to the effect that
syndicate has been formed for the pur.
chase of the Yankton county bonds at
low rate, the alleged design of the syndi-
cate being to make q margin by
their conversion into tho proposed
new four per cents. This rumor, whether
it contains truth or not, may tend to pre-
iudice the case at Washington, where
even ar unjust suspicion has its effect.
The peculiarities Of the assessment Of
real and personal property in the various
counties of Dakota will be apparent to
any one who will take the pains to ex-
anime the biennial report of the terri
torial auditor which ls now prepared,
and which with other executive docu-
ments will be submitted to tho forth
coming legislature. There are number
of what might be termed discrepancies
in regard to the value of the same spe-
cies of property separated by
county boundaries, discrepancies 30
marked that it would seem to invite the
attention Of the law making power. As o
remarkable instance of this difference in
value, farming lands offer remarkable
illustration, ranging as they do at S1.32
per acre in Chas Mix county to $14.64 in
Hughes county, while the average
throughout the territory is $3.50. This
striking difference in values between
two counties almost neighbors and
both bordering the Missouri river
cannot be traced to the inferior
character of the one and the superior
quality of the other because as matter
Of fact Charles Mix county land is as
valuable for agricultural purposes as any
land in Dakota. The discrepancy must
be accounted for in the diversity of
opinion held by the respective assessors
OF the respective counties whose duty it
is to aifix the value, in regard to the
value of lands, anG we submit that such
discrepancy as the one noted is not in
the interest OF equal and exact justice
to the territorial tax payer.
In live stock like difference in values
will be noted. The torty-fve assessors Of
the forty-fve counties who are returned
to the auditor, possessed forty-6ve
different opinions regarding the value of
domestic animals. A Minnehaha county
horse is valued at S24, while in Pembina
the same kind of animal is assessed at
SS5. Intermediate values are Richland
county $50; Lawrence, $50, and Grand
Forks, S75.
The Kidder county mule is rated at
500, while in Dawson county the animal
is set down at $40, and in Lincoln county
at S25. 1t may tlattcr the pride of the
Kldder beast to place his value at four
times the estimate in which his kind are
held in the COW counties, but when il
comes to paying taxes the 800 mule
will be justified IN kicking.
The Dawson county COW was not per.
mitted to participate in the Mitchell
boom last summer when her valuation
was fixed at the insignificant sum of two
dollars while members of the same class
in Kingsbury were assessed at forty dol
lars. Ten to twenty dollars was very
general valuation for this species O
property.
Sheep range for one to two dollars
per head and III one. instance, Hughe:
county, they are rated at three dollars
The Hughes county assessor did not per
NIT the wool to be pulled over his eyes
The festive swine, in Pembina county
is held in high estimation, and figures
in the returns at ten dollars per head
Hutchinson county returns the same an
imal at Sl.5O each and Nlinnehaha place!
its value at Sl.25 cents. Minnehah,
must have a surplus.
The Bon Homme wheeled vehicle hal
an average value of one dollar and fit
cents, suggesting that the wheelbarrov
perhaps is in general use. ELSEWHERE
this class of property is given value o
from ten to forty dollars.
Twelve counties return an assessed
valuation of over million and hal
each. Lawrence returns over five mil
lion; Cass more than four and hal
million; Grand Forks exceeds three ani
a half million; Burlelgh and Traill ex.
ceed two million; Lincoln has slight ex
cess over one million.
A review of the aggregate assessed
valuations on all kinds of property es
tablishes the conviction that the rat,
has been fixed at not more than 50 pei
cent. of the true or cash value, 30 that i
can be justly claimed that instead Of thu
forty-scven aud half million dollar.
which the people of Dakota will pa,
taxes on this year, the real and persona
property of the territory is worth j,
cash not far from Que hundred milliol
dollars.
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Don't Waste Money.
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