, 1902-06-02
AS TO CITY VALUATION.

The Cheyenne Leader calls atten-
ton to tho fact that there has been a
falling of In the assessed valuation Of
school district No. l. Laramie county.
In which Cheyenne is located. as COM
pared with 1894. to the extent OF about
5000. 900. and yet, it says, few people
will admit that Cheyenne was less Of
a city in 1901 than it was i'll 1894. We
boast that NOR than n hundred
houses. to say nothing of public build
inss, we're erected last year"
On the other hand. the Tribune
shows that the valuation for city pur-
poses increased during the same per
iod to the extent of almost $125,OO0.
The Tribune then turns to the City
of Laramie and shows that school dis
trict No. 1, in which this city is locat-
ed, declined in valuation by o than
$3.50, 900 while Cheyenne was declining
5000. 900. and says Laramie people
would be much offended If told their
city has not grown any In seven years"
The comparison and comment are
not favorable to the capital city. The
Tribune gives the valuation of Chey'
enne in 1901 at 5 1885, 42s. and Lara.
mic. / ,836.Ol7. Laramie's valuation
as given is just about 25 per cent less
than that OF Cheyenne. Is there any
sane man who would say such a valu,
alton is equitable? Is there a man
living within the limits OF the city OF
Cheyenne who would admit that the
actual valuation there is not double
what it is here? We believe not.
1t Is true the actual valuation at
Cheyenne has almost II lot quite dou'
bled during the past seven years. and
e the falling off in valuation for as
sessment purposes amounts to $500.
900. This can be accounted for in
more ways than one In 1894 values
were inflated beyond all reason in
both Laramie and Cheyenne n it was
very natural that there should be a
decline. On the other hand. it was
very necessary for the city Of Chey
enne to keep its values high i'll order
that suficient e might be raised
to meet it's manifold obligations. II
is required to keep its levy for city
purposes at the extreme limit.
In Laramie the decline between 1884,
and 1901 Is easily accounted for. Al
the former period We had just passed
through the worst panic the nation had
ever seen, but assessed valuations had
not been reduced to meet the times and
II took several years for them to be
adjusted. Many instances can be re
called here in which assessed valua
tions were fully $50 per cent OF the
actual value of the property. Between
the years 1894 and 1901 Laramie lost
more property han it gained. The
burning of the Trabing block alone was
a greater loss than all the gain cor
bined. During that period not a sin,
gle residence of Importance was con-
structed in this city and at the same
time the Union Pacific closed its
shops, throwing fully two hundred
men out of employment so far as this
city was concerned. This was greatly
to Cheyenne's benefit. and yet its
property valuations declined a two to
one when compared with ours.
In conclusion the Tribune says: 1T
looks as II the cities generally need a
good overhauling by the assessors and
boards Of equalization" There is
other work for assessors Inc boards
of equalization to do. In 1894 money
and credit we're returned in the state
to the extent Of 1858. 1856 .27. while in
1901 this item ltd declined to 3469.-
778.lS. This too in the face Of the