The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-03-31
WILL ASSESS LANDS
At ACTUAL WORTH
Some Members Favor Assessment Of
Railroads Set Forth in Hook
Decision.

Oklahoma City, Mar. 31.-Al prop
erty in the state, including farm lands
and personal class, will be assessed
at it's actual cash value il the state
board of equalization has its way The
new board, at its first meeting held in
Governor Cruces office this morning,
adopted a resolution instructing State
Auditor Leo e. Meyer to notify all
county equalization boards that they
must return property to the state
board at its fair cash value and that
the question of what property in the
various counties has been assessed at
in previous years will not be the con-
trolling factor with the state board in
determining values for 1911.
The attorney general stated that in
1908 the state board reduced the equal
lied values in practically every coun-
ty of the state from those returned by
the county boards, and that since that
time the county boards have been wise
enough to make returns on the re-
duced basis which is about so per cent
of the actual cash value.
The board sets a series Of dates for
hearings Of reports of the public serv-
ice corporations as to the assessment
of their property for 1911 Railways
and private car companies are to be
heard April 20, q and % and street
railways, electric light, gas, water ana
all other companies Of public service
nature on April 1S and 20.
A special committee composed of Al
torney General West State Auditor
Leo Meyer and State Examiner and
Inspector Charles Taylor, was ap-
pointed to examine the returns Of all
public service corporations and report
to the board at 2 p. M, April n
The board is in quandary as to
whether to assess the railroads under
the act Of the special session Of 1910.
which provides for their assessment ON
a revenue basis, or assess them under
the old law. Last year the board pro
ceeded under the old law, nofwbthl
standing the fact that the new law
was in effect Attorney General West
stated to the board today that 1t real.
ly is impossible to understand the new
law or work out basis from it for
the assessr1ent of railroads.
State Auditor Meyer stated that if
the 1910 acts were used as a basis,
some of the railroads will escape pay
ing any taxes altogether, as their re-
turns show no revenues. One railroad.
the NJ. o. & g., has refused to accept
an assessment on any other basis than
the 1910 act and has brought injunc-
tion proceedings in few counties in
the eastern part of the state TO enjoin
the collection of 1910 taxes OIL the ad
lvalorem basis under the old law The
board adjourned without taking any
action to unravel the tangle.
The state auditor submitted sehed-
ult VI doSthoHlCht Aoi thC WV &diHf
telephone companies on the basis Of
last years assessment and asked the
board to adopt it. Attorney General
West objected and declared that he
would insist on assessing all telephone
properties on the basis of valuations
as determined by the supreme court
in the Enid telephone case. which WIS
$4,000 higher than the corporation
commission and the Pioneer Telephone
company The matter went over TO
the next meeting.
Some members of the board favor
the assessment of the railroads who
benefited by the Hook injunctions on
the basis of 100000 mile. the figures
some Of them gave as an earning basis.