The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-09-28
sADLER AND DAVIS ON THE
WARPATH.
Challenge the Eureka Assess
ment Roll.

ing GOYefnOf ohuleF anu COheho NNA
Davis of the State officers selected by
the last Legislature to inquire into the
Collection Of Revenue, arrived on the
train for the purpose OF meeting the
County Board OF Equalization.
The Board was called together in the
afternoon and all were present. The
Governor stated that it was the object
of the State officers to assist the County
Board In the collection OF revenue for
the State and county, under an act
passed by the last Legislature. After
showing the authority by which they
acted he called for the Assessment roll
of Eureka county. and then stated he
challenged the roll ON the grounds that
the valuation was insufficient and not
Ia accordance with the law. which re
auired AN assessment upon the full cash
value OF the property. In citing In
stances he called the attention of the
Board to the fact that on the day OF
the session the agent of the Central Pa
cihc Railroad Company had flied a
mortgage with the County Recorder OF
one hundred and twenty-five millions
If dollars on about one thousand miles
If ro i'd, which indicated that the road
Sas worth over one hundred thousand
lollars mile. while the Assessor had
liked the valuation ut thirteen th0us.
ind dollars mile. Other property In
he county WAS assessed In the same
.,rsportlon, and the result was that
there was low valuation and a high
TAX rate which was very undesirable as
showing for the county.
The Dunphy estate was another In
stance. The estate was assessed In Ne
vada for S20l, 900, and Sl07,O 900 In Eu-
Ieka county, when few months ago a
laughter Of the late MIR. Dunphy had
stated under oath in San jose that the
value of her fathers property In Me-
vada was over one million dollars.
According to this showing the estate
IN Nevada had not been assessed at its
inll cash value.
Another instance cited by the Gov
,rnor was the Eureka County Bank. 1t
aad been given very low valuation,
md he wanted the Board to cite the
Ulcers of the Bank before them and
isk them To present al abstract 0f their
accounts, and this would enable them
% correctly assess the cash deposits of
arti,4s who had neglected to place the
ash they hal on hand on the Asses
.or's statements.
In referring to individual cases where
the statements made to the Assessor
s-rs incorrect. he mentioned the case
Il t. b. Swales. whom he had met the
lay before on the train. He had just
old some sheep and land for IS. 900, and
he told the Governor that he would not
AXE s2n, 900 for what he had left. He
vas assessed on the roll for sll 900.
The question of assessing cattle next
'ame up and the Assessor said he had
assessed the stock cattle ut Sl4a head
controller Davis asked about the beef
attic. and Assessor Riddlt. said that no
beef cattle had been turned in; also. that
h. did not know he price. When asked
If they were not selling at $40 head he
aid ne could nut say. he had only taken
the statements as they came in. and 1t
vas intimated that il was his business
TO go out and hunt for such cattle when
ne felt that the owners were not turn
ing them ia. The question OF remedy
icing under discussion Davis said that
where cattle we're overlooked by the
ASSESSOR the Board might not be able
up and count them. but II could compel
the Assessors bondsmen by suit In
/ the courts to pay the amount the State
ind county had lost by the failure of
/ he Assessor to find them. and that the
| Assessor could. II false statements had
Deen made tn him bring the offenders
before the Grand Jury and ask that
they be indicted for perjury. The law
I : h., I'D IL
ing the Board to act Ia instances OF
that kid.
Quite a lively discussion followed in
which everyb 0 " took hand and the
mem beers of the State Board seemed
-quipped at all points and had the law
ready to show just what the powers of
| The State officers and County Boards
we're, and the District Attorney coin
clded with them.
The Governor said 1t was very dis.
agreeable duty which the Board had In
many instances to perform, but the
Legislature having imposed these du-
Ties on them they proposed to perform
hem to the full extent OF their abilities
/ ind resources. 1t was not their inten.
tion to deal unfairly by any one, but
simply to enfurce the law with all alike
!
was not to cinch people with additional
taxes but to see that conscientious men
who paid full taxes and who had little
/ piece Of property in town where the
Assessor could see IL and size It up were
not compelled to pay more In proper
/ ton To the owners Of land and stock
who In MANY instances were avoiding
burdens which were piled the heavier
on u Q taxpayers in town.
/ Nevada showed about S25. 900. 900 of
+ lax tbl' property with An average tax
rate OF IS ON u hundred. when II all
+ the prOparty was assessed according to
Inv IL would be S75, 900. 00O with rat.
of one dollar on the hundred Three
/ dollars on The hundred drove away peo-
I pie from the outside who wanted to
come here and live. while one dollar
rate would attract investors and build
up the State After the plan was once
put In OPP ration everybody would won.
der why IL had never been tried before.
and the present way Of assessing prop
srty woul.i b. a thing Of the past
In the evening the Governor met the
+ Board and challenged quite a number
NJ names on the roll, and asked the
Board to cite them 10 appe ar and show
cause under oath. why their ASSESS
Inents should not he raised. The Gov
arnor stated that he had no fault to
tiud with the revenue officers Of the
county. who had, while not assessing To
the full cash valne. come nearer Ia II
Than In any other county Of the State
Also that he did not wish Eurek a conn
/ ~ to be alone In raising valuations un.
til the Board WIS certain as to what the