Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-09-08
The AUDITORS REPORT
Items of Expenditures by Officials and
Employees to be Shown

Employees to be Shown
Pierre-State Auditor Hirning in
his letter Of transmittal in his
forthcoming report to the COVER
COR calls attentions to the fact that
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 LAS 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
we'll 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
ent 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.
COZ, and in credits S543,093, while the
examiners reports show about $780,
! 600 900 deposited in the banks of the
state"
or telephones he takes the position
I that the manner of taxing them is no.
equitable, and that the law should be
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 Of taxation compared with 9TH
err 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 tax
levy for all purposes in the various
counties of the state. This averages
from rs to % mills. Most OF the prop
erty of the larger companies is To-
Gated in the larger cities, where the
levy ranges from so to 60 mills. For
example, the Nebraska Telephone
company, which operates in the coun-
ties of Butte, Custer, Lawrence, Meade
and Pennington, is assessed for 1910
at $6s, 499. OF this assessment, $4,000
| 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
s1,e4597 in taxes. The average tax
levy in Lead, Deadwood and Rapid
City is about IS mills, and in the
other territory IS mills, SO that the
tax on other property of like value
In the three cities mentioned amounts
to $2,36s.13, and in the other taxing
districts to s924.S4, or a total OF 49,
29397, while the tax on telephone
property of the same value amounts
to only s1,945.97."
AS to the express companies, he
says:
'The assessment OF express COM
panies has been the hardest problem
for the state board to solve. These
companies have very little tangible
property in the state, but take large
amount. of money out of the state ey-
cry year in earnings BY taking their
earning power into consideration, the
board has placed on their property
what it considered fair assessment
and although they pay what consider
a small tax considering their earn
ings, the American Express company
and Wels-Fargo {. Co., express have
refused to pay their taxes for 1903
and the matter is now in court