The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-09
SHOW CAUSE ON APRIL I8
Board of Equalization Takes
Steps to Make Corporations
A Come TO TimeM

IN order thar public service COZ
nolations owning property in thi
gase may Ee bar ed in the future
from setting up in court the CLAIM
that they were given no proper op
Ilrtunity TO submit facts to the stat
board of equalization bearing on th'
proper assessment OF their property
fnq the relative equalization of th'
value OF same with that of othel
Glasses Of properly IN the state, stat'
auditor NJ. r. Tgapp is causing to bt
published in several newspapers o.
general circulation throughout lht
state. a notice advising such public
service corporations that any such
information which they desire to SUP
mit to the state board of equaliza
ton will be considered at a meet
ing or the BOARD to be held for that
lurnose on April is.
The notice Is being published by
the state auditor in compliance with
IA resolution authorizing such action
adopted by ,he state board Of equali
gation at a recent meeting, and the
purpose aimed Al Is to remove from
Ne hands Of the representatives OF
Hlc large public service corporations
VI least one of the technical objec'
rions, which has become chronic in
their efforts 10 Tesist the payment
hi taxes
\ In seyeralRsuts restraining the col
Ection of taxes fDs former Nears,s at
tolnoys FOR the railroads have set
IN as one OF their claims in equity
tlat the assessment 0f their proRer;
" hy the state Soard was made with
onI giving them "a fair opportunity
d be heard and that they were al
fbrded no chance to prove before the
state hoard uf equalization their con
tcntion thar the value Of their prop.
elty in the state was relatively high
NJ in prop lrtion TO its real value
tnan was the value Of farms lands
end other classes OF property.
Since The compilation Of figures by
State Auditor ''rapp. showing that
almost ss.00000J In state. county,
township and city taxes. now due.
are being withheld by the large pub
lie service corporations on purely
II clinical points OF law raised in the
federal colri. the state board OF
equalization has determined to nse
Every precaition possible in order 10
thke from sueh corpo ations and their
representatives any pretext on which
they NAV base suits 10 delay the col
lection of taxes ior the present year.
~ fr.,. ...th f.f 50
ab'a wealth OF The state is owned by
'lublic service corporations. the mag
nitude OF the question and the
amounf to vhich the people Of the
state a.e Interested becomes appar,
tDt. iii a communication to the local
officers having charge of the max
ine of estimates and levying Of tax
ts. under tie new excise board law,
State Audito, Trapp says:
III one-iourah OF the taxable
wealth OF the state evades the pay
ment OF IFS ! Ist share OF the burdens
OF government by technical questions
raised in the Federal court. it is ap-
parent to the most unthinling that
the honest owners of the remaining
three-fourths will have to bear the
additional bu-aen. When one-fourth
Gf the property Of the state escapes
taxation. the other three-fou tbs has
inst that much more to pay. Out oil
each five dolla S OF taxes paid by
The private owners Of property. one
ffilar is for the payment of the tax
Which should have been paid by the
corporate owners OF property which
has evaded taxation