Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-08-07
STATE EQUALIZATION BOARD
AND HARD TIMES.


AND HARD TIMES.
There is an era of temporary hard
times in the state. 1t is the same
condition that prevails for a few days
each year when the state board Of
equalization holds its annual meeting.
Indeed, the conditions that prevail
through the state and that seem to
affect all interests are truly lament
able. The railroads are not earning
anything. Many of the branch lines
are not paying anything on the in
vestment. They can find no business.
A great per centage of the gross earn
ings of two or three lines go for taxes
and there is no money coming in to
offset this expense. Crops In the Red
River valley are poor. Heads have
not filled well. Much of the land was
covered with water until recently and
the crop on it is a failure. In many
cases the seed blew out of the ground
early in the spring and has not come
back. Farm lands are Of little value.
Live stock is worth little. Cattle r
lean and gaunt and grazing is poor.
Many of the bands of live stock have
strayed so far the assessors were I'm
able to discover them. The same dis
tressing conditions prevail with regard
to the banks of the state. All the
banks in Cass county return only $780,
600 worth of bank stock. The banks
are in bad shape. They have more
invested in real estate than their cap
ital stock, surplus and undivided profits
amount to. Merchants carry very
small stocks. There is a settled air
of gloom in the statements that are
made before the state board of equal
ization by the representatives of the
various interests who are here in an
effort to obtain low valuation Of prop
erty for assessment. Storms, drouth,
floods, grasshoppers, bugs and smut
have got in their work.
But this condition will not long pre-
vail. AS soon as the state board ad-
journs, the railroads will begin to do
a tremendous business. The grain
shipments will be such that they can
not find a n for the wheat and other
products that are to be transported to
m q 1S1yof rShoro mill ha r1Cu-1y fon, III
roads all winter hauling the crop out
of the state and thousands of new cars
have been ordered to handle the SUP
ply. The banks will be overlooking
with deposits. Farm property will
begin to go UP to it's normal price of
$50 to $40 an acre in the valley and
bidders for the school lands soon to be
sold at auction will have to come with
bulged purses to, get even a quarter
section. The wheat heads will begin
to fill. Cattle on the ranges will take
on flesh so rapidly that shipments can
be made in a week o. 50. The grass
will become green and luxuriant again.
Business will expand. Merchants
will advertise bigger stocks than ever
in anticipation of the fall trade. Men
will wear watches and jewelry, of
which the assessors returns show an
alarming scarcity.
This prosperity will surely come.
But it will not be until after the state
equalizers finish their work. Until
then all will be gloom-if we believe
the revelations that are made to the
board by the representatives of the
railroads, of the big Red river coun-
ties. and, indeed, of all the sections
and interests that find it advantageous
to come before the board.