Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-06-16

The county commissioner met last
week a. a beard OF equalization. The
commissioners we're serving under DIFF.
icultles, because Assessor Laird had
not visited all OF the precincts. as the
law requires, aud consequently was
unable TO furnish the board with much
Information Il required. As the mem.
bers Of the board knew be had not
made the trips they had, to an extent,
prepared themselves for this, and per.
sonally made many Investigations. In
former years there had been great In.
equallties IA the assessments Of the
stockmen. Some OF the stockmen
have been 10 the habit OF making fair
returns aud others have only returned
q small proportion OF the cattle they
owned, twenty. ave per cent being a
favOrite compromise between con.
science aud cattle. The extreme Ease
was found 10 the southern part OF the
county, where one mar reported IN
the assessor that on the nrst OF March
be bad 100 head Of cattle, and a few
weeks later he sold and shipped lI9
head Of steers. At the request Of
Commissioner Ownby, OF this district,
the assessor had secured from the
cattle Inspector a list Of all the cattle
that had been shipped out OF the
county during the past year, the names
OF the owners, and the class OF cattle.
From this information the commits.
~sioners we're able to gather q fairly ac-
curate idea Of the brandlngs OF many
OF the cattle outdts. They then ap.
piled the rule commonly used by cat
tlemen who want 10 know how many
cattle they have left on the range,
that is to multiply the number brand.
ed by four, II no shipments have been
made, or by three, II the twos and
threes have been shipped, the product
being the number OF cattle owned.
This rule was applied, and the result
vas many raises. In cases where no
cattle had been shipped. a comparison
wat made with neighboring ranchers.
II A. and B. we're known to have
about the same number OF cattle, and
the board could arrive at a fair con-
clusion as 20 the number Of cattle A.
had, they would raise B. TO the same
agure. 1t is admitted by men familiar
with the cattle business that never be.
fore has an assessment been so thor.
oughly equalized, as regards the stock
assessment. Deputy Assessor Belts
was we'll acquainted with affairs in
Silver City. and was able to give adj
vice regarding the notorious tax
dodgers In that town. Nearly all the
business men 10 Silver City, including
both Of the newspapers we're raised.
II the Silver City newspapers had
been giving Ia honest returns to the
assessor they would have been as
anxious as the LIBERAL to see that Inn
proper and illegal taxes were not
levied aud collections forced by the
courts. Among the raises 10 this part
of the county we're the following;
Mansfield cattle company TO 1850
head; II. G. Day TO 1000 head; San
Simon COMPANY to $500 head; Baker
brothers to 4,400 head; KIT company
from 1900 to $500 head; Gladney s.
Grey to 800 head: John Kerr to SO
head; John Robson to $50 head. In
L%ordsburg the following raises we're
made: NJ. Doyle real estate from $3.50
to SI,050; Charlie Lee, merchandise to
3 1000, real estate to $1,000; W. ].
Mansfield to $1,000; J. 7. s. J. P. Nc
Cabe to $500; Mrs. A. E. Owens, real
estate TO 1880; John Robson, real
estate to 5000; Beul. Titus, lumber to
81, 900; Mary Weymouth to $500. There
will be great fun 10 Silver City In July
when the folks come up to tell the
commissioners why these raises should
not be sustained.