Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-08-03
STATE EQUALIzERS.
State Board of Equalization Will Nee,
in the City the Coming Week to
Assess Values.
Problems that Confront the State:Board
in adjusting the Values of Various
Properties.
Not Likely that there will be any Fur.
ther Increase in Railroad Valu-
alton this Year.

The state board of equalization, con-
sisting of Gov. Fancher, Attorney Gen.
eral Cowan, Auditor Carlblom, Treas
urer Driscoll and Commissioner of Ag-
riculture Thomas, meets at the state
capitol, Aug. I, to equalize the assess
ment of property through the state
The board is confronted again with
the question of procuring sufficient
revenue to carry the state through the
coming two years, and this without
working injustice to any class of prop
erty owners. Last year. the feature
of the session of the board was the
radical increase of railroad assessment
The railroad lines through the state
were raised from valuation of 50 900
a mile on the main lines to a valuation
Of $1,000 a mile. This made the total
valuation of railroad property little
over 17,OOO,OOO two-thirds of the as
sessed valuation of all the other per-
sonal property in the state. which was
assessed and equalized at $4,000, 900
1t is not to be expected that this
year there will be another such radi-
cal increase, for the reason that at the
valuation fixed for railroad property
last year, it is paying on about the
same valuation as other property own
ers. The railroad representatives
fought the increase of assessment v:g-
orously last year, but were unable to
prevent the increase. The board ar
gued that there was need of additional
revenue, and that the railroads were
not paying on the same proportion of
their valuation as were owners of
farms and stocn. 1t was generally
admitted, after the meeting of the
board, however, that until other prop
critics in the state were raised in as
sessed valuation all along the line,
there would be little further increase
in the valuation of railroads.
Last year the total assessed valua-
tion of all classes of property in the
state, real personal and railroad, was
$114,3334 ,42S. OF this the total real
valuation was $72,11O,O59 The per-
sonal valuation was $25,2O9,411 and
the railroad assessment $17,O14,9JS.
On this increased valuation, levy of
3.S mills was made for general state
purposes. This levy has barely sufficed
to pay the current expenses of the state
institutions for the biennial period
now closing.
There is little likelihood of any reudc-
tons anywhere on the list of property.
So far as real property is concerned, it
is assessed at an exceedingly low fig
ure in the eastern part of the state.
In the Red river valley, where the av-
erage value of land on the market is
$40 to $40 an acre, it is assessed for
purposes Of taxation at 81, $5 and $G
an acre. In Trail county, where no
land is on the market for less than $50
to $35 an acre, the land is assessed for
less than 81 an acre, about one-fifth
of its value. Certainly no owner of
land in that locality can have com
plaint that his land is exorbitantly
valued. Cass county last year paid
on its land at a valuation of Sc. 81 an
acre. Grand Forks paid on valua-
ton Of $5.G9. Trail county paid o.,
valuation of $6.S4. Richland paid
on a valuation of $5.S7. Other val
ley counties paid on an equally low
rate.