The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-02-05
WORK OF THE
ASSESSORS
A Successful Meeting Held
at Helena.
UNIFORM VALUATION
Some of the Assessors Decline to Promise
to Abide BY the Livestock
Schedule.

Assessors Wednesday finished laying
the ground plan of this years assess
ment, appointed a committee to advo-
cate the passage of certain amend
lnents to the taxation and assessment
laws by the legislature, elected officers,
decided to meet next year at Butte
and went home with a feeling of
hearty good-fellowship, says the Hell
ena Record.
Business began in the morning with
the consideration Of the report of the
committee on live stock. Debate show
ed that the agreement as to valua-
ton made at last years meeting had
not been uniformly followed. Some
assessors had valued stock cattle at
$25, and others at $3.50; some placed
a price of $3.50 on stock sheep, others
valued them at So.
State Treasurer Barrel was pres
en- in response to the invitation to
the state board of equalization, and IN
reply to a question, said there was a
crying need for a uniform assessment
and he hoped the assessors would
agree upon one. He pointed out that
under the supreme court decisions,
the state board had power only to as
sess the railroads and could fix the
value high in one county and low in
another, as it chose.
State Auditor Calderhead recalled how
reasonable taxation could build up one
industry, while excessive taxation
could ruin another. He advocated
assessing railroads at not less than
100000 & mile, and said that the
Northern Pacific could be sold at that
rate under the hammer today.
AS illustrating the difficulty of Sc
curing Il uniform assessment and he
hoped the assessors would agree upon
one He pointed out that, under the
supreme court decisions, the state
board had power only to assess the
railroads and could fix the value high
in one county and low in another, az
it chose.
State Auditor Calderhead recalled
how reasonable taxation could buil(
up one industry, while excessive tax
alton could ruin another. He advo
Gated assessing railroads at not less
than $50 100 a mile and said that the
Northern Pocific could be sold at tina
rate under the hammer today.
AS illustrating the difficulty of Sc
curing uniform assessment j. C
Sullivan, rf Choteau, pointed out tina
band of 1000 sheep on the rang
could no longer be valued at as mucl
as thirty CT forty in pasture.
w. D. Clark, chairman of the Silve
Bow board of county commissioners
called attention to the inequalities
taxation. He said the number of cat
tie returned by county assessors wa
less than that shipped out of the stat
each year. Merchants should pa
mOIc IdAeS. LUXURIOUS Vi luOuSduu
of dollars worth of mortgages wer
recorded on the books of Silver Bo'
county in the names of fictitious pc
sons supposed to reside in othe
states, though really owned by cit
zens of Butte. He favored a law TIA
ing the mortgages where recorded, Il
opposed different valuations for II
same class of property in differe1
counties.
Chairman Kelly of the Park boa1
of county commissioners held that
was uniusr to assess stocks of me
chandise 1t full invoice figures on a
count of changes of style and natur
depreciation in value. He recommer
ed their valuation at Is per cent
their cost.
Chairman Pattison of the Casca
board If county commissions
thought it impracticable to make
uniform valuation of live stock in
counties.
When the question was rails
whether these present would pied
themselves to abide by the agreem
as to live stock some would not CO
NIT themselves and f. F. Crosby
Custer said that, owing to the va
ing conditions it would be difficult I
all to be hound.
The report on live stock was tn
adopted by vote of to Z.
The committee on banks and m
chandise and on mines reported, 81
ply recommending that assessors +
low the law These reports We
adopted, as were the reports on lu
Der and logs and on land.
C. NJ. Johnson of Ravalli said II
the Northern Pacific Railway &C
pany refused to pay taxes on some
it's land, while owners of script Lar
paid them. The attorney gene