The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1897-09-04
FACTS ron THE FARMERS.

wrought up to white heat over tht
statements OF the Parse, that Commits
sioners Dishman and Cable we're guilty
Of doing the taxpayers OF this county 4
great injustice by reducing the asses
Inent on railroad lands over $4,000. II
does not deny our charge. for the reason
that the records. which may be seen by
any person who is interested in the mat
ter, back mp every one OF our statements
bat tries TO throw dirt in the eyes OF the
many dollars more for county printing
in one year than did the Blade two
years later. This evasion of the subject
will not serve the purpose intended,
mate commercial rates. and if the rat
printer ef the Silver Plated BLADE chooses
TO do the work for rat prices it is that
murh saved TO the people. We will
work for either the county or individu-
ais without profit Int this has moth
ing to do with the railroad assessment
and We do not intend to be led away
from the subject in answering false and
malicious statements made by the Blade
for that purpose. Suppose We did charge
the county high priees-which we did
motifs that any reason why the COM
missioners should favor a corporation
as against the farmer?
The records show that Dishman and
Cable voted 10 reduce the Northern Pa
cihc land assessment $50, $40 aud the
personal property $4,000. while Com
missioner Smith voted against the re-
duetion. These facts cannot be denie,i
and the charges that Smith proposed the
reduction are branded as false by the
record. The Blade says:
while pAtting Commissioner Smith
on the back for refusing 10 go on record
in favor OF reducing the assessors fig
ures on railroad lands, the Cn1r
d'Alene Press shonld not omit to tell
the people that Smith was the first ore
TO speak in favor OF reduction, but
when it came to going on record he
had not the nerve TO vote his convic-
lions"
1t will require good many columns
oil Blade argument to convince the peo-
pie that Commissioner Smith did not
have the nerve to vote his convictions
The people believe that he did vote bis
convictions and that Dishman and Gable
voted the convictions Of Northern Pa
cific Tax Agent Sedguick
The freedom with which his request
was granted shows that Mr.. Sedgwiek
made mistake in not asking for a
greater reduction. Let MS see il the
statements Of the Blade that the rail
road assessment was purposely made
higher than the individuals, so that it
could be reduced, is true. That reflects
ON the honesty Of the assessor.
From the records in the assessors Of
flee we learn that the average assessed
valuation OF railroad lands per acre was
$l.4l and the average valuation Of ali
other land-land owned by farmers
$40 per acre. Dishman and Cable vot
ed to reduce the railroad assessment.
$5O-Sl0, making the average valuation |
per acre $l.0o, or differences in favor Of |
the corporation. as against the farmer,
oil 81 cents an acre. Let ne see now this |
compares with the assessment in Spok-
ane county, Wash, where all the best
railroad lands have been sold, which is
not the case in Kootenai. Spokane
county assessed the railroad lands ut
81 .931. cents an acre. 52Ls cents more
than this county. The board of com
missioners reduced the assessment 70
81 81 cents per acre, still leaving it 10
cents an acre higher than Assessor Cal
lahan's original assessment and ~ cents
more than the valuation Of 81 90, as fig
ell by the votes OF Dishman and Cable.
Tax Agent Swartz stated to the Spokane
county board that the comp my was Of
fering to sell its lands at an average O.
$l.45 an acre and the assessment should
not exceed that figure.
The board deemed $I5l a fair assess
able valGe and so ordered. In Kootenai
county the average valuation placed on
the lands by the railroad is over two
dollars an acre and two Of our board
deemed s1.O9 a fair valuation and 90 or
dered. The increase in the total valua-
ton OF railroad lands Of $S4,21O over
1896, the only excuse offered for the ac-
ton OF the commissioners, 10 due to the ,
fact that enough acres Of land have been
patented to the Northern Pacific during
the year to cause the increase and is not
due to higher average per ARE.
Let MS take another view Of the mat
ter. II the assessment OF railroad lands
was too high, as claimed by the Blade. ,
the assessment of lands owned by the ,
farmer was also too high and should
have been reduced proportionateIy, or a
matter Of about 22l per cent.
We still say the action Of Commits 4
sioners Dishman and Cable is nninst. j
II 10 not equal taxation and smacks yerv IL
much Of the methods employed by our Il
English cousins just previous to the Bos- &c
lon tea party. ~
Again we offer Commissioners Dish &C
nan and Gable the free use Of these col
INNS for an explanation, and will state ~
hat the people want to know what they T.
ave 10 cay on the subject. a..
r. on at
IHE Silver Plated Blade ttill coDtin- ~,
e. TO bark at the heels Of gnDeript.,,d ,