Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-08-10
Some Comparisons.

According to the estimates OF the
equalization board which consists of
Gov. Fancher and other state officials
1t will require nearly. halt million OF
dollars to pay the expenses Of running
the state government for the next fiscal
year. The valuation Of real and person
al property made by county boards With
the railway tax If the same as last
year, including the natural increase,
will amount to 5l05,O00000, which at
the maximum rate levy will raise only
542O,OCe for state expenses. The only
recourse is by raising the valuations to
get the needed money to run the state.
The Bismarck Tribune says:
With Bottlneau and Sargent coun ties
to hear from there are IS, l92, ,625 acres of
land on the assessment roll. Reckoning
the missing counties the same as last
year, there will be added 589,O52 acres,
indicating an increase in the humber Of
acres over last year of l,55S,O43 acres.
The valuation of real property, includ-
ing structures and improvements, as re-
turned by the county boards, Bottineau
and Sargent omitted, equals S63. 3.S27,-
764, and reckoning these counties the
same as last year, 81, $50, ,493 above these
figures, making total increase in the
valuation OF real property Of the state
of $2,7S9,401. 1t is likely these fig.
ures will be increased to nearly 53,0OO,-
600. The average valuation per acre
- lost
while this year it Is but 52.64. indicating
that there is ground for material iD-
crease IN valu alton, to secure an eqult-
able equalization, bt tween the Red River
counties and those outside. In nearly
every instance the counties outside the
Fed River are returned at from 60 to 100
per cent of their true value, while the
Red River counties return not to exceed
20 to so per cent OF their true value"
Some of the inequalities of the state
assessment are shown in the returns.
There are no bonds and stock stocks
owned in Cass county or Grand Forks,
while McHenry, Rolette, Traill and Bur.
leigh have some few According to the
returns there are no diamonds, watches
or jewelry whatever in Barnes. Eddy.
Griggs, McLeer, Mercer, Morton,
Pierce, Ramsey, Towner and Williams.
while Cass (includlng Fargo with TO-
900 people) returns but s3,9O2, and
Grand Forks, $1,000. Poor old Bur
leigh even shows up with 1920, and
the cowbows out in Billings report S29o
worth. Traill is not very long on
watches and jewelry-only $3.50.
In gold and silver plate and plated
ware Cass is likewise defcient-only
S2,6SO-aud Grand Forks finds only
$l,O33 worth for the assessors. Trail
could uncover only $l1O worth, while
Burleigh comes to the front with S56S.
Take, for instance. "household furni.
ture." Grand Forks reports but S9I,-
AL worth. Burleigh county is sparsely
settled but she comes forward with
81 ,5SS worth. Even populous Trail
mas only S24 in household furniture
more than Burleigh, and Walsh, with
numerous good cities, has only S44,1G
worth on the rolls. Stutsman even has
S4l,442 worth, or nearly the same ss
Walsh.
The people OF the pious. populous
counties Of the Red River valley, accord
ing to the above, are great successes as
tax dodgers, compared to the poorer,
more worldly and less populous
counties in the central and western
parts of the state.
The value Of goods and merchandise"
in Cass is only $449,5O9; in Grand
Forks, s354,205 Pemblns, sl65,365;
Walsh sl45, $40, and Trail s15l, 7Sl-the