The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1903-10-03

The action of the State Board of Re-
venue on Wednesday last with refer
ence to the assessment of railroad lands
in Humboldt County is significant and
suggestive in more ways than one.
Since the enactment of the law for a
more uniform valuation of property for
purposes Of taxation, and those of the
last session for the reduction of tax
rates, the laws in question have been
constantly and bitterly assailed as be-
ing in the interest of the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company. The most
absurd and groundless statements have
been made in support of this view.
It has been broadly charged that the
State Board of Assessors has iperma-
nently fixed the valuation CT the rail-
road at e15, 900 per mile, while the val
uation Of all other kinds of property
win have to be raised from year to year
to Offset the reduction in the tax rate.
Anything more directly at variance
with the truth, it would be hard to
imagine. In the first place the Board
has not permanently fixed the value of
the road at any figure, but has merely
valued it for the year 1908 and this at
figures considerably above the average
Of former years. Secondly, the Board
of Assessors has no power to fix the
value Of the road for more than one
year at a time, and it has the same
power with reference to other species of
property. Thirdly. the Board has
shown no disposition whatever to favor
the railroad, and it never will if the
people are careful in the selection of
their County Assessors who collective
ly make up the State Board.
The utterly preposterous character
Of the charge referred to is well ex-
empliied by this Humboldt County
matter. The Assessor of hat county
has shown the strongest antipathy to
these new revenue enactments. and has
constantly favored the idea Of keeping
the assessments as much as possible in
the hands Of the individual County AS
SCISSORS. He is now charged by the
District Attorney Of his county with
having grossly and wrongfully favored
the railroad in the assessment of it's
lands in that county, such lands being
valued by him at a small fraction Of the
value. placed upon them in other q
ties for the purpose of taxation. More
over. the charge is made that these
railroad lands in Humboldt County
have been listed by this Assessor at
very much lower values than lands of
the same character owned by private
individuals or other corporations.
Perhaps the Assessor can give q good
reason for this discrimination, but ON
its face it has an exceedingly bad look.
The Board of Equalization Of Humboldt
County passed the charges over until
the 9th Of October. AS soon as the at
tention of the State Board of Revenue
was directed to this matter. a telegram
wal sent to the County Board of Equal.
ization urging it to take action that
would do justice to the taxpayers of
that county and those of the entire
State.
!, Here we have q conclusive demonstra-
ton of the wisdom Of the legislation
under consideration. Had the State
Board Of Assessors fixed the valuation
of these railroad lands and others SIM
situated. no such abuse or injus-
tice as the one charged in Humboldt
County would have occurred. Nothing
can be clearer than that the railroad
company can control a single Assessor
much more easily than it can all of
hem collectively, when acting under
he eyes Of the Governor, the Controller
# State and the Attorney-General. If
ustice is not done in this Humboldt
matter. it viii not be the fault