Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-08-07
The BOOMERS
KNOCKED OUT
Few Realized Lands in the.
State We're 50 Worthless
Until They Heard the Tale.
Of Woe Handed the Equal.
izatiOn Board

e If the state board of equalization
does not list the lands of the various
counties of the state for, song, it
will have been no fault of the repre-
sentatiyes of those counties, for with
one accord-save two or three excep7
tions--the representatives of the
counties bore down on the values OF
lands in their section with might
calculated to break the heart
Of the good people who have spent
years in trying to convince the world
that North Dakota lands were the
finest and richest on the globe. pa
It has also been generally supposed
that the coming Of railroads into the
country had been a good thing, but
according to the assertions of some.
who spoke before the board Thursday,
they had made lots almost worthless
in some of the towns and empty
buildings by the score.
It was a narrowing tale Of poverty
that was put up all along the line, and
enough to make Commissioner Gill
breath marvel at the cheerfulness
with which he has been lying about
the country in his efforts to induce Inn
migration. ~" . n
Sand hills, Marshes rough uplands
even the rivers-came into q promi-
hence unknown before as elements
bearing down values, and the listener
was led to believe that there were
but few acres in each county worth
dragging pillow through, and one mar
veled to hear the knocks of men in
speaking of their localities before the
board, after having been led to be-
lieve, by the statements of these same
gentlemen a few months ago at the
real estate convention, that they lived
in the Garden of Eden.
1t made the listener sad to think
how the real estate boomers-and ev-
en- his own eyes-had been deceiving
him all these years!
Then the solicitude of the speakers
lest the bloated bondholders who are
serving the dear people as county Of
icers, might get boost in salary if
the assessment was raised What a
happy thought it was to hit two birds
with one stone-save the pocketbooks
Of the landowners and at. the same
time cut the expense list of the coun-
ties by keeping down valuations!
The people have now been heard,
and today the "soulless corporations"
will have their say, and if they can
beat the tale of woe put up yesterday
they are entitled to have their taxes
cut in the middle.
The state board of equalization met
at 10 O'Clock Thursday, and after the
reading of the minutes of the last
meeting, listened to Auditor Brand
jord of Bottineau county, who finished
his remarks begun on Wednesday.
His particular request was that no
raise be made in town and village lots
They had deprecated in speculative
value, since the building of railroads
through the county had ,cut off trade,
and in the old towns and villages
there We're vacant buildings by the
score. While he did not ask for re-
duction, he asked that they be not
raised. II b. -s..,@. ~..
Judson LaMoure and Auditor Felt
son asked that Penlbina county be left
as it was. The decreases in some lines
were explained to the board.
Auditor Anderson and Commission
er Robert Haddow of Grand Forks
addressed the board, and answered
many inquiries as to values. Grand
Forks does not want any raise in val
ues, as 1t would put them over the
twelve million mark, which would |
raise salaries of county officials. They
would like reduction in merchandise
stocks from what the county board
left them.
States Attorney VIM. Nuessle of
Mclean asked that his county be not
raised. Auditor Nelson Of Barnes
asked that his county be let alone.
Cavalier county asked to have the as
sessment left as returned.
Commissioners John Kroker and
Carl Kaz OF Logan county, asked that
they be equalized as low as Burleigh,
Emmons or Kidder. AS 1t now is they
are higher and have no better lands.
Auditor b. w. Field OF LaMoure
asked that the assessment be left as
II was made by the county equalizing
board 81
The board adjourned at noon and
met again at 2 o'clock
It took up the schedules Of lands,
exclusive OF improvements; town and
city lots, exclusive OF structures and