Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-07-25
xsMssR Tor THE Assoc,ArE1 PRESS
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STATE EQUALIZATION.

s. STATE EQUALIZATION.
M The state board of equalization
will begin it's session at the capital
early in August and considerable in
terest attaches through the state to
the deliberations of the board. The
members of the board are the govern
or, state auditor, state treasurer, at
torney general and commissioner of
agriculture and they have power to
make a general review of the assess
ment in the state, harmonic differ
enees of valuation and fix outright
the valuation at which railroad, tele-
graph, telephone, street railway and
similar public utility property may
be assessed.
There has been some discussion
through the state of the assessment
of property at real value, but that
! is believed to be more theoretical
than practical at the present time.
The total valuation of the state
at a fair figure of its real, market
value, would be four, five or six times
what property is now assessed for in
4 the state. Land in the Red river
valley would be raised from an aver
age valuation of four. four or five
dollars an acre to thirty and forty
dollars Stocks of goods through
the state, as is notorious, are assess.
ed for as low as tenth of their
value, and the average is not over
fifth, at a liberal estimate. Mon
eys and credits are hardly assessed
I at all. ~ =, Il. Isl
IN the city of Fargo, where there
lis much wealth, both individual and
In a corporation city, the assessment
of moneys and credits is ridiculously
low Efforts have been made by city
boards Of equalization to raise the
assessments to something near their
value but they have generally failed.
In some cities of the state stocks
Of merchandise worth hundred
Il thousand dollars are assessed for ten,
fifteen or twenty thousand dollars
q Household furniture is assessed al
from hundred to two hundred dol
lars in houses where the total value
runs into the thousands. All classes
OF property holders appear to have
Il profited by the tacit agreement t.
get the property in as low as posi-
BILE and keep it there. AS result
the real property in towns bears al
I'M just burden of taxation and resi-
B dence property is assessed at such /
figure as in many cases makes tn
tax burdensome. y q sl3t5
AS SO much tax must be raise
M anyway, it is agreed that it matter
not whether valuation is high or low
W. as the rate will be Increased or low
cred to produce the necessar
amount. The principal Injustice !
the assessment in the state is in di
crimination, and the actual concea
ment OF much property, that doc
not get on the tax rolls. at all. g
s new class of property this year
in automobiles, and their valuation
averages in many places, for the pu
poses Of taxation, a hundred dollar
for machines costing not less than
thousand dollars and in some cas'
two or three thousand dollars. I'll
s farmers wagon in many cases is va
ued for a good proportion of Il
Salue Of a modern auto. These j
stances may be repeated IN maj
eases.
Grain in elevators is now taxed
s fixed rate, under a recent constit
tiona1 amendment Other chang
have been made or suggested in t
y nsessnent Of property. One THU
kointed out IN connection with I,
aidden increase OF assessed valr
Con, is that the salary OF all coun
@Ficers is based upon the assess
valuation. IL 1t were doubled
trebled, the salaries OF these office
would be largely and unnecessari
increased The county auditors
the state will attend the meeting
the state board Of equalization I'm
body this year with q view TO ASST
ing In an equitable assessment,
though it has been suggested th
sheir Interest In a higher Fa1uatl
may be in d measure selfish, sin
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