The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-08-04
CITIZENS PROTEST
TO STATE BOARD
Under the New Law IT is contended
That the only Relief is the
Supreme Court


Oklahoma city. Aug. 2.-Insisting
that under the provisions of the new
tax law, the state board Of equaliza.
tion cannot be enjoined on tax assess
ments made by it, and that the only
remedy is by direct appeal from its
action to the supreme court, E. E.
Blake of Ell Reno representing himself
and nearly two hundred citizens of EI
Reno, appeared before the board yes
terday and began action that may ulti-
mately result in appeals in each case
to the supreme court.
The question is one of the most I'M
portant that has come up in the state
so far in the present administration.
F. L. Boynton of Kingfsher represent.
ing the banks of that city and a num-
Der of property owners, followed
Blake on the same mission.
About two dozen citizens of Chandler
Stroud, Prague and Davenport got in
late this evening and came before the
board with protests against the raise
made in assessments.
Attorney General West informed the
board that it had no jurisdiction over
the protests made by Blake and Boyn-
ton, but later -reconsidered and on his
motion the board decided to give the
demonstrators ten days to file a record
of their case with the board.
1t was contended by Blake that un-
der the new law, which it is claimed
was not without particular purpose,
there is no relief for any individual
opposing an assessment except to take
the matter before the supreme court,
and to do this he must lay before the
state board of equalization Just those
matters he bases his appeal upon, to
the higher court The same proceed
ure must be had as in appealing cases i
from lower court to the supreme
court.
Attorney General West first instruct
ed the state board that it must refuse
to take jurisdiction in the matter but
later decided to allow the attorney to
file their objections and lay them be-
fore the board. Then Governor Cruce
suggested that the same privilege be
allowed all others complaining.
II this proposition is carried out ia
will admit not only every county in
the state, but every individual who
believes he will be assessed too high.
as the board has made raises of some
kind in every county. This is the first
time this question has been presented
to the board and it promises one tl1it
may cause all kinds of entanglements.
Especially will the outcome be Of
interest following the decision of
Judge Cotteral of the federal court at
Enid yesterday when he held that all
taxes enjoined by the railroads in 1909
were illegal. That was the first year
of assessments after statehood and the
first work of the newly created board
of equalization. The board raised all
assessments on railroads and corpora
tions and lowered it on farm property.
The railroads enjoined the board from
collecting the assessments. Judge Cot
teral held yesterday that these taxes
were illegally assessed. To get around
the danger of having assessments en-
joined, the last legislature passed a
law making 1t impossible to enjoin as
lsessments made by the present boar
but provided that individuals could
appeal from the boards action direct
| ly to the supreme court NoS this
promises to be the procedure and If
it starts once there viii be no ending
of complications and the board win
find itself in numberless suits.