Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-08-06
EQUALLY .
HEAR STATEMENTS AS TO AS
5sEssMENTs BY COUNTY OF
FIclALs AND OTHERS.

at 10 O'clock in the auditors office, and
was called to order by the governor
The minutes Of the preceding meeting
were approved. .,
County Commissioner Foss' of Ben
son county first addressed the board.
He asked that the assessed valuation
of lands be left as equalized by the
Benson county board. The valuation
is the same as fixed by the state
board last year. The merchandis
values decreased, as one town had
been depopulated and three large fires
had destroyed the stocks of several
merchants just before April 1.
Ole I. Jevre of Cavalier county ap-
;peared before the board. His COM.
plant related to the raising of bank
assessments in Cavalier county in
1906. 1T appeared from his statement
that the banks of the county were
assessed at higher rate by SO per
cent than those of other counties. To
remedy the difficulty the county COM
missioners related the tax so as to
bring it down to what other banks
of the state were paying. The state
4 auditor refuses to accept any less
amount than the regular tax, and the
county treasurer Of Cavalier refuses
to pay any more than the reduced
tax. The opinion Of the board was
| that friendly suit would have to be
> started to remedy this matter, as this
J board could not review the acts of any
former board. Commissioner Ness
and County Auditor Cameron of Ricl
land county explained at length the
l slight drop in the assessed value o
l lands. For several years some of thu
townships have had no crops because
of too much rain, and the farmers art
putting in drainage bitches which in
3 creases the burden Of taxation Au
l ditor Lewis of Cass county next ad
q dressed the board. Cass has no CON
plant to make and left the land va
ues as equalized by the state boar
- last year. There is no increase i
. value of tools, machinery, engine
and separators, as farmers are seet
| ing to grasses, and use less machi1
| cry. Also there are no new settler
: going into Cass county and very littl
8 new machinery is sold there. Audite
: Lewis thinks our law fixing a dat
April /, as the time when good
'e should be taxed is bad 1t gives corpor
IS lions like lumber and machine cor
IS panies chance to shift property fro
- Minnesota to North Dakota and BAG
E again. Some change should be mao
H. in this law. He also asked that tt
e Western Union exchange be taxed
y the board just as the telephone e
changes are taxed.
County Auditor Brandjord appeare
" on behalf of Bottineau county. F
explained that the decrease in a
sessed valuation was due to addil
p the poorer lands to the tax roll. TT
good land was assessed at the san
value as last year, but the addition
the poorer land brought down the a
n erage. Attorney General McCue as
=. ed Mr. Brandjord how a raj
. in all values would be consi
~ cred by the people. He said tn
=. would object, as it would raise t
ct debt limit, and the county Officer
!. salaries: also increase the mon
nj from the one and two mill fixed take
10 which would give too much money f
II educational purposes. Ss
be At this point the board adjourn
NJ for dinner.
We The board met at 2 o'clock, a
4, there was no one present to adore
go them, and as the returns from Gig
M counties are not in the hands of t
auditor, the board adjourned to
o'clock Thursday morning. The
representatives. of the railroads will
a heard Friday morning.