Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-08-04
.SHEEPMEN FIGHT
PROPOSED [ RAISE
Hearing Again Continued Today
Before the State Board of
Equalization.
AN AGREEMENT is IN SIGHT.
Members of Various County Boards
line Up an Equitable and Salts
factory Solution to Middle.


factory Solution to Middle.
The hearings before the state board
OF equalization OH the proposed raise
of the rate OF taxation on sheep and
cattle, continue today, to be concluded
tomorrow evening. The board will take.
Frfday to consider the long list of pro-
tests being made, and by Saturday,
ought to be ready to decide what ac-3
ton to take. Mr.. Bennion of yernal,
member OF the board, calls attention to
a public misconceptions. The impress
sion seems to be that the board has
made the 40 per cent raise anyhow, and
is.now hearing protests On the con-
trarS, the board announces merely Il
proposition to raise the rate OF taxa
tion, II, after hearing all protests. it is
considered advisable to do so. No form
al action whatever has been taken: and
whether there will be any is not yet
decided.
The members of various county COM
mission and assessment boards who
appeared before the state board this
morning. held Il brief conference among
themselves in the ante-room, when they
agreed that an equitable and satisfac-
tory way of solving the livestock tax
rate problem would be the appoint
ment Of a revenue commission to re-
wise the revenue laws of the state. Such
a board would be able to so arrange
for the application of taxation as to
obviate injustice and place the whole
matter on an equitable basis. The
county officers present are very. earn
est in protesting against the proposed
40 per cent raise. One specinl reason
is that the county books are made up
for the current assessment, and tax
notices have either been sent out, or
about to be mailed. Action. by tt.o9
state board, as proposed will force the.
county officers to reopen their books,
go all over their figures again, re-
wise their recapituations. send out new
notices, and cause no end of confusion.
WILLARD COUNTY.
j. NJ. stott of Willard county, who
appeared before the state board today,
called attention to the fact that in his
shire there were few local sheep, but
any quantity OF transients He represent-
ed rather the cattle interests on whom
ian imposition of 40 per cent additional
tax would work q gross injustice. The
assessments are made in January,
with all the cattle on home feeding
grounds, and with the proposed addi-.
ton to the full wal tues 81 herds. when
owners suffered Observation-Disclosures loss.
es, as they always do, with full taxa
5tion paid on such losses owners would
+ find themselves in very hard straits.
Mr.. Scott held4tlat a fair valuation on
cattle In his county would be SIG a.
head. with So FOR sheep.
BOXELDER OBJECTS.
Messrs. Elias Jensen and M j.
Richards of Boxelder county, assessor
ri
We're among the protestants today re-
presenting both cattle and sheep. They
explained that the proposed raise
would tax one man higher than an,
other. There were undoubtedly some
owners who SO manipulated their,
herds as to escape taxation: but be-
cause few men We're dishonest that.
terested in the industry as whole.
A special point was made of the
fact that the books We're all made up,
and the confusion attendant upon be-
ing called to do all their bookkeeping
over again. as already noted.
Then there would be the question,
"Shall we assess 40 per cent less this
year, in view of the threatened action
of the state board to raise 40 per
cent?, If no reduction was made, and
the raise carried OUT the tax would
practically amount to lao per cent
The fact that most of the cattle OF,
Boxelder county are on the home
feeding grounds at the time ,'e Of the
January assessment, and can not
escape the eyes of the assessor, was
emphasized.
JUAB'S POSITION.
County Attorney I. l.. Foote, County
Clerk t. w. Nickers and Assessor Will
liam Bailey of Juab county We're also
on the list of professionals present. They
We're not objecting to any reasonable
raise in tax, rate. say 10 or 10 per cent,
if it was found necessary; but 40 per
cent elevation was altogether too high
for Juab They considered present cons
lditions due to the law providing how
long sheep may be assessed in the.
county where they are first found after
Jan. i. If one county puts n 100 per
cent valuation on sheep, while others
all go to that county favoring the most.
SUBMITS INTEREST.
County Commissioner George Smith
of Summit said he was more interested
in cattle than sheep. 1t Is practically
for cattle to escape the no.
tice of the assessor, as in the winter
time they are being fed at home, and.
not on the ranges, which are closed by
hid up in Summit, out of the reach OF
taxation. Mr. Smith considered the
present average valuation of cattle
s1T.43, fair for Summit; but it is high
enough without any further raise. The
present assessment is at The full valua-
ton.
TRANSMITS IN EMERY.
Chairman Samuel Singleton of the
county commissioners and j. II. Kill
pack of Emery county, We're earnest
directors to the 40 per cent increase,
both as applied to cattle and sheep.
which are now assessed in full value.
In fact full valuation would be Sit
to SIT for cattle. with SITS to So for
sheen. Any raise in the tax rate would
be a severe injustice on owners. If
there was any shortage in enumera
ton it was in the case of transients
whose herders or owners may have
5misled assessors, thus causing trou-
Bile. In fac. MT. Singleton rather i'm
agined there sA.d been some queer do
sings in this line-"tricks In all trades
hut ours, and ours all tricks. he
quantity remarked. While prepared
to admit there had been some Dues
tionable manoeuvers in the list
ing of transient sheep, he
held strongly. that such action
as the state board proposed to take
IN A al