Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-27
EQUALIZATION BOARD 0. 1 +. :.
has FINISHED work On
CONSCIENTIOUS WORK ON PART
OF MEMBERS OF THE CITY
!. COMMISSION.
Valuation Of Bismarck Water Supply
Plant 10 Arrived At-Diamonds Rare
Article in Bismarck.

The city board of equalization, after
nearly three weeks of work, meeting
three times a day n that time, has
finally finished its labors. AS dearly
as possible the property in the city
has been eQualized on a basis OF ~
per cent of it's true value, OF course
there have been many mistakes made
but they have been mistakes OF judg'
ment and nothing else.
It has been comparatively easy
matter to get at the value of real
estate, for almost any member OF the
board could go out and tell within
a small amount as to what a lot was
worth and how much it would cost to
erect house or building. The hard
est propositions were the merchan-
disc Stocks, but in numerous instan-
ces merchants have stated to members
of the board that their stocks we're
put in at a fair basis as compared
with other stocks. AS matter of
fact this is the first time in years
that there has been any kind of
equalization of city property. The
members of the board have been con-
scientious in their work and there has
been a full board present at every
one of the forty-f1ve or fifty meetings
with one exception. and that once the
absent member had a good reason for
not being present
The board had instructed the city
engineer to prepare an approximate
statement showing what the city could
replace the Water company's plant
for, He stated that in the time al
inc or
ment he could only give an Spproxi-
mate cost, but in his opinion the plant
exclusive of the water mains to the
penitentiary, capitol and Fort Lincoln,
could be replaced for $114,032.OO, in
GLIDING the capitol and penitentiary
lines, the cost would be in the neigh.
borhood of $134,017.00, and including
the line to the military post the cyst
would be about $164,000:00. The lines
to the capitol and penitentiary, being
state property and the line to the
post being government property, were
not assessable BY the local assessor
so could not be taken into considers
ton. After allowing for natural de-
probation in the plant the final fig.
ures were placed at $4O,500.00, an in
crease of $25.500.00 over the past few
years.
The exact final figures ~ left by
the board cannot yet be given as
practically every item has been chang
ed from the assessors figures, but
the assessment is practically $780,.
Q0O,. as against 81, 500, 900 last year,
The assessors had been instructed to
turn In all property at its full value
and their returns showed about g.;
100000: "a, . So. :, =,
| The diamonds in the city are ap
parently all paste as, with one excep
ton, the highest priced diamond in
the city, Is worth only SIS. The hon
est exception turned In his at $75
The board should have crossed him
of entirely tor his honesty, but did
not.
!, There are NO watches in the city;
but very few people have any gold OF
silverware in their houses, and &C
cording to the returns there is alb.
solutely no money In the possession
of anyone living in Bismarck, and as
for stocks and bonds. such things are
entirely unknown here
The city commission will instruct
the city attorney and president Of the
commission to be present at the meet.
ing of the county and state boards
of equalization to present the interests
Of the city with their board.
q = = q = = = = = = = . = 4