The Columbus journal., 1908-08-26
Total Land Assessment.

Total Land Assessment.
The total assessment of lands, as
equalized by the State Board of Equal
ization, is less than the total value
placed upon lands by the various
county assessors of the state. In some
counties the state board increased the
land values and in some counties II
made decreases. in order to equalize
between counties, but the aggregate
assessment is less than that made by
the county assessors themselves. The
county assessors are responsible for
the valuation placed on all property
except railroads, which goes to make
up the grand assessment roll.
The law requires the State Board
of Equalization to pass upon the work
of county assessors and to equaliZe
these returns between counties so
that every class of property may bear
its burden of taxes. The board must
see to it that the actual value is
placed upon every piece OF property.
1t is not the duty of the board to in
erty bears to another class, but to list
each at its true value.
1t is not the duty of the State Board
of Equalization to maintain certain
ratio between the value of railroad
property and the value of lands, any
more than it is the duty of congress
to maintain a ratio of 16 to between
silver and gold.
The law specifically prescribes how
railroads shall be assessed and the
value placed upon this class of proper
ty by the State Board of Assessment
is, in the estimation Of majority OF
the board, the true actual market
value. In the case of the Northwest
ern, officials swore that the road could
be reproduced for 100000 less than
the value placed upon it by the state
board. The Union Pacific, which one
member of the board thought was as
sessed too low compared with the
other roads, was valued on its main
line at 5000 a miie.
Farmer Fined for Selling Bad Eggs.
Cooley Critic, a farmer who was
charged with selling bad eggs at the
town of Broken Bow, has pleaded
guilty and paid a fine CT SO and costs.
He was the first farmer to be made
the subject of complaint by the state
food department. His arrest and
prosecution is taken as an indication
that the food department intends to
begin with the farmers to prevent the
sale of bad eggs. but prosecution is
pending against an egg dealer OF
Dawes county for selling to the pro-
prietor of a restaurant a case Of eggs
that contained many bad ones. Food
Commissioner Johnson has refused to
rule in regard to who shall candle
eggs, the farmer, the retailer or the
but the effect Ct prosecu-
tion against farmers will be that
farmers will have to shoulder this
and expense.
Grocery Stores Being Inspected.
An investigation of the grocery
stores in Lincoln by the food depart
ment shows that many OF the stores
keep their wares in dirty PAGES, uy-
and unfit. Commissioner
Johnson has ordered a general clean
ing up and he still has his inspectors
at work investigating the eggs sold
here.
Committee Will Not Interfere.
The executive committee of the
state committee will not
call netting to hear both sides Of
the controversy between Edgar He
ward and Chairman Dan Stevens Of
the democratic congressional COM
mittee CT the Third district. 1t is un-
derstoOd that the committee conclud-
ed that it was not within the purpose
and province Of the state committee
to go into the personal differences of
two democrats. The controversy
grows out of charges of Howard
against Stevens.
Plenty Of School Teachers.
State Superintendent McBrien re-
ports that he finds a suficiency of
for the public schools of Ne
braska this year. He says that in the
west and the northwest some of the
county superintendents are asking for
but in the main there are
plenty everywhere. The superinteld-
hNo nip To h4
ty superintendents asking them to get
The results of teachers examiHati n
to him as quickly as possible so tn
may be issued before t-t
opening of the school.