The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-09-09
THE AUDITORS REPORT
Items Of Expenditures by Officials m
Employees to be Shown

employees 10 De 0nOWn
Pierre-State Auditor Hirnlng In
his letter of transmittal in his
forthcoming report to the Cover
nor calls attentions to the fat hat
the report this year will be in three
volumes, two containing itemized ac-
counts of all state officials and en-
ployes, and the third the proceedings
Of the staet equalization board work
and the abstracts of assessments. OF
the finances, he says:
"The financial condition of the state
during the past fiscal year has steadi-
ly improved. On June 80, 1909, the
net Indebtedness of the state amount
ed to $54S,417. On June 80, 1910, this
was reduced to $374,912, a decrease OF
s174,505; and with the increase OF the
state revenues during the next year,
due to the increase in assessment as
well as to other sources OF revenue,
this item should be almost wiped out
at the close of the next fiscal year.
On assessment and taxation, he
says:
THE assessment laws Of the state
are very defective. Under the pres
emit system millions Of dollars in per
sonal property, particularly moneys
and credits, escape taxation every
year. The total amount Of money list
ed for taxation by the various counties
of the state for the year 1910 is $685.
607, and in credits $543, 093, while the
examiners reports show about $780,
000, 900 deposited in the banks OF the
state"
Of telephones he takes the position
that the name of taxing them is no.
equitable, and that the law should De
amended, which he shows in the fol
lowing statement:
Under the present system of tax
levy on telephone companies this class
of property does not bear its just por-
ton oil taxation compared with 9th
er property located in the same tax
Ing district. Under the law the state
board new levies a tax on this class
Of property equal to the average tai
lew for all uprposes in the various
counties of the state. This averages
from % to % mills. Most of the prop
erty of the larger companies Is TO-
Gated in the larger cities, where tne
levy ranges from so to 60 mills. FOL
example, the Nebraska Telephone
company, which operates in the coun'
ties of Butte, Custer, Lawrence, Meade
and Pennington, is assessed for l9lt
at $69, 499. OF this assessment, S45,0is
is located in the cities of Deadwood
Lead and Rapid City, and the balance
In the smaller towns, and in the coun-
try. Under the present tax leVy
which is % mills, this company pays
81. 945. 81 in taxes. The average ta1
levy in Lead, Deadwood and Raplc
City is about IS mills, and in the
other territory So mills, SO that thu
tax on other property of like valGt
in the three cities mentioned amount:
to 81, 369.13, and in the other taxing
districts to s924.S4, or a total or -,
293. 81, while the tax on telephone
property of the same value mounts
to only $~1,945.97."
AS to the express companies, hi
says:
"The assessment Of express com
panies has been the hardest problem
for the state board to solve. Thest
companies have very little Tangible
property in the state, but take a large
amount of money out of the state ev'
cry year in earnings. By taking thel1
earning power into consideration, TIT
board has placed on their property
what it considered a fair assessment
and although they pay what | consider
a small tax considering their earn
lngs, the American Express company
and Wells-Fargo & Co., express have
refused to pay their taxes for 1909
and the matter is now in court"