The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-08-03
TELEPHONE TAXES.

TELEPHONE TAXES.
The Subject 10 Called up BY May.
or BOuck. who Applice 10 Gov
ermOr ElrOd for q more EquIi.
able Assessmcnt.
The tion of Mayor Bouck
was called to the telephone lines
assessment by several citizens
who complained of the low as.
ses sment. The mayor brought
the matter before Gov. Elrod by
letter and the governor tele-
graphed back asking for certi.
fed statements of the property
of the telephone companies to be
sent to him on the first mail.
Mayor Bouck, in response to
this sent the following letter to
the governor, which will probab-
ly explain the situation as fully
as could be desired:
Hon. S. II. ElrOd, Pierre, S. D.
Dear Sir:-Your telegram relative
to taxation ofTelephone. Co.'S, receiv-
ed So far as making an accurate
statement of the property Of the Da-
kOta Central Telephone company and
the Grant County telephone compan,
you will see that is impossible. and
that it can only be secured from the
books of the companies. / called ON
the secretary of the Grant County
Telephone Co., and find that he has
sent you true statement, OF the
value of the lines of that company in
the county and one can only ascertain
the truth of the Dakota Central Tele-
phone cOmpany's statement which
presume has been sent in before this,
by an examination of their books.
which are not here.
The Grant County Telephone COM
pany estimated the value of it's ex-
change within the city of Milbank at
about $1,000 on May 1st, 1906. You
will find in their statement an item of
$4,000 for other property. That in
cludes the Milbank Exchange and in
other parts Of their statement they
have included the instruments and
miles of wire, which make up the
amount rs above stated.
AS to the Dakota Central, it had at
one time something like 25O phones in
use in the city, but think the number
was considerable less than that on
the 1st of May. A great number of
their phones have been supplanted by
the Grant County company's, SO I
would think that they probably had
about 125 phones on that date. Their
mileage Of wire is practically the same
as that of the other company and it
would not be out of the way to say
that their exchange is probably worth
at this time from $1,000 to $1,000. I be-
lieve that it was estimated at about
$1,000 at one time. but their revenues
are considerably less at this time than
they were one year ago, and. as ha We
said before, q great many less phones
are in use. enclose two statements
from the county treasurer, showing
that the county received June 10, 1905,
S166. 43 telephone tax. The telegraph
tax was STOPS. The amount appor-
toned to the city of Milbank out of
the telephone tax was $24 O6 and the
telegraph tax, S8.88 Hence, you will
see that the city of Milbank received
only S24.O6 from the Dakota Central
Telephone Co. on 9 valuation Of from
5000 to $1,000. My attention wae
Il S0AACu w ouAS AA0VV0I ny oCVcI0l VI OuI
citizens, who make very bitter com.
plant, and you can readily see that
they are right about it. Taking q
valuation of $4,000 and assessing it at
40 percent of its actual value, as
stocks of goods and other property
are assessed, would give q valuation
of S2, 400 for assessment purposes,
which is very low, and assessing tina
at 81 percent, which 10 the rate we
are paying in the city, and you would
see that the Dak ota Central Co. should
pay taxes into this city amounting
to $l42.0O, while they are paying only
$166. 43 in the entire county. So far
as their taxes in the other parts of the
county are concerned have made no
investig alton, and will leave it to
others to make complaint, but 80 far
as this city is concerned, would be
remiss in my duty If l did not make
complaint when one of our merchants
with $1,000 worth of stock is obliged to
pay S]42. 90 and the Dakota Central
company, with property equalof value,
in fact, of probably more value, pays
only S4.O6, not over one sixth of the
taxes that are paid by our own citi-
zens. l am willing to back up this
statement with any evidence which
may be required hG the board of
equalization. The Dakota Central