Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-27
ASSESSMENT
Of RAILROADS
VALUATION SHOWS A SLIGHT
INCREASE OVER THAT OF
A YEAR AGO.
NEARLY FIVE MILLIONS
ADDED IN FOUR YEARS.
The Increase in Mileage Is Not Great
Total Assessment, Fifteen
Millions.

The state board Of equalization had It's
final meeting yesterday with the repre-
sentatives of the railroads, and the assess
road men. after some little discussion. ac-
cepting the assessments decided upon by
the member OF the board. says yesterdays
there is a slight increase in t.le total as
sessed valuation of the railroads. Last
year the total was s14, 972, 6ss. 80. This year
the total assessment is $l5, 600, SCI. so.
TIL total assessment of the Northern Pa
cifc this year is 1920, O69. 80, as against 81
=, 2Ss, so7.O last year. The Northern Pacific
year, and that accounts for the reduction
in the assessment.
There is a slight increase in the assess
ment Of the Great Northern. Last year it
was $5,9lo,3o9; this year it is S., 939, 767. The
Increase is due to the increased valuation
per mile placed upon the Sand Coulee
branch, which is raised from S., 600 a mile
to $500.
There is no change made in the assess
ment of the Butte, Anaconda & Pacific,
which remains at ssa2,54s.
The Great Falls & Canada is reduced
from $214,24o to SIS, 46o. The Montana rail-
ro aaha is increased nc from s55, $50 to $s4, 7s2.
the Yellowstone park branch. 1t consists
OF Il miles, is assessed at 1850 a mile, and
the total assessment Is SIS, 400.
After the board had adjourned Clerk
David Marks went back over the assess
ments for previous years. This will be
the last assessment Of railroads the board
will make. and comparisons were in order.
It was found that the assessment made in
1850 Dy the former board, under the pre-
cehlng administration, aggregated $40, 1885,
15l. IN four years the assessment of the
railroads had been raised almost five mil
hons. This increase in the assessment is
due not to the increase in mileage. but to
the gradual increase Dy the state board of
the assessment per mile In the past four
years there has been but little increase in
new railroad building in Montana. The
Montana railroad has been added, and the
Yellowstone Park branch, and some few
miles to the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern, but the net increase in mileage
mas been small.
The increase in the assessed valuation
OF personal and real property in Montana
IN the past four years has also been a
large sum. In 1896 there was Of the two
81, 1882.
State Treasurer T. E. Collins, speaking
OF the railroad assessments, said yesterday
mat the increase was a considerable one.
1T Is about AZ per cent" he said, ''in four
revenue to the state. When it is remem-
bered that this increase is not due to the
increase In mileage, but to raises in valua-
ton by the board, and that it has been
done without creating any intense bitter
ness on either side, we feel that we have
at least done as well as our predecessors,
The railroads have protested at each raise,
but We have made sure we were dealing
Justly with them, and that the increase in
their valuation was but following along
the lines Of other increases, and they have
acquiesced.'
There does not remain much more for the
BOARD to do beyond mere routine work. It
cannot equalize any other assessments, and
IT'S labors will consist in performing per-
functory duties.