Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-08-18
JOSEPHINE COUNTY
ASSESSMENT DOUBLED
Valuation 1904. S2.034.095 and
for 1905 Over 81 100000
Rates to Be Lowered.


completed the field work OF max
ing up the assessment roll OF Jose
phine county for 1905. While no
totals have been made Mr.. tallin Is
confident the roll Will foot up over
a, 900, 900. For 1904 the roll was
az, 034, 095. and this years roll will
thus be double that Of last year. 1t
has been the rule of County Assessor
Fallin to list all property at its actual
cash value or as near 81 can be ascer-
tained. Under this rule the va uation
ON some property has not been changed
but most property has been doubled and
some trebled 10 valuation. Farm
lands were rated according to their
value and timber land entered as
such. is assessed at 81 an acre. Rail
road land assessed last year at sl.bO
and s2.b0 per acre, Is valued this
year at $3. 90 and $500 an acre. The
county intended to have had all
timber land, railroad and private,
cruised this summer AMI given valua'
tions according TO its worth. For
that purpose @. NJ. Sites of Williams.
one of the most expert cruisers III
Southern Oregon was employed. Much
of the timber land is up in the mount
aims and the hardsbips and exposure
on his trips caused Mr.. Sites to be
sick for some time which so delayed
him In his work that he has been
unable TO complete the cruising OF the
timber land In time for Assessor
Fallin to make his Valuations by 1t.
The cruising will no complete in
ample time for next years assessment
and the vast area Of timber land in
Josephine county will hereafter pay
taxes on It's real valuation.
The Southern Pacific will now pay
takes on sl2, 600 mile on Its 81 miles
of road In Josephine county, instead
Of $4,000 milf, the valuation last
year. The railroad company put In
their rolling stock ut s400 mile, the
same ~ last year. In making their
valuations they put In locomotives
at $1,000 each, passenger cars at
sl400, stock cars sll0 box cars $l05
and fiat cars at $40 each. As these
valuations are less thsn a fouIth of
the worth of such rolling stock, As.
SCISSOR Fallin put The company on the
roll for $1,000 "a mile for its rolling
stock.
The Western Union Telegraph emo.
paDy was assessed last year ON its
lines and Office equipment In Jose
phine county at s39l5. while this
year the Company will pay ON $40, $50.
The Pacific Postal Telegraph Com.
pany paid on sl690 last year, but
this year will pay on $3.50. The
Pacific States Telephone Company
was en- the roll last year for sl67O
and this year for Sl3, 800.
Assessor Fallin has been careful in
fixing valuations aud he expects to
have the assessment roll for
1905 TO be the most equitable as to
property ratings of any yet made for
Josephine county. While Josephine
county Is one of the larger counties Of
Oregon, both IN size aud value of prop.
erty, yet Mr. Fallin has completed
the field work. both in taking the cen
Gus and listing the property with the
assistance of bat three deputies. OF
these assistants John Randle took the
census for Grants Pass aud EX.Sheriif
j. q. Hiatt of Selma, made both the
census and property roll for all that
part of the county lying south of
Hayes Hill, on the Kerby stage road
ID. +. Dotson did the field work for all
the north part Of the county. Mr.
potson is now assisting Assessor Fal.
lin III the office in making up the tax
roll from the field books
While the date is not officially set
yet Assessor Fallin expects that the
board of equalization will meet on the
first Monday iu October.
1t is not the intention Of Judge
Booth and Commissioners Lovelace
and Logan to have the assessment roll
doubled with 10 CORE pohdiug reduc.
tion in the rate OF the tax levy They
do not anticipate that the current eN.
penses of the county Tor next year will
be any greater than for this year, IN.
less increased road building is under
taken. aud with double the amount of
property TO pay taxes the rate can thus
be lowered one.halt rhis big yalua.
tion and low tax rate will be more con.
duciye TO homeseekers aud investors
locating IN Josephine county than
low valuation aud u high tax levy; at
least that has b'en the experience IN
other counties oi Oregon