The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-08-25
HAWLEY TAX MIDDLE
Twenty-Seven Assessors use "a Diff
ferent Methods i'm Valuing
Property
(Pocatello Tribune)


Under Governor Hawley's ill-ad
vised and ill-timed "cash-value" pla
of assessment, 27 assessors in Idah
have assessed property in p differen
ways, according to Stephen d. Taylor
state auditor and one of the member
Of the state board of equalization
now in session at Boise.
The total valuation of all propert.
in the state of Idaho for Assessment
purposes for the year 1911 will prob
ably reach between $3.50, O0O.O 900 ant
$340, 100000, according to the bes
estimate that can be made at thi
time
The total value of all real and per
sonal property In the state, as state'
in the Capital News is $274,259,O11.'
At, as reported by the various county
equalization boards. To this must b.
added the value of railroads, tel :
graph and telephone lines OF the stat>
as ascertained by the state board o!
equalization.
These values have not been MA Il,
known. Indeed, it is safe to say tina,
not a single member of the boar.l
has settled conviction as to what
that value should be, although Gov
,ernor Hawley told teh board this
morning that he had reached a con
;clusion on all save a few branch lines,
which, he said, he was fran kto con-
fess, he didn't know how to value.
Railroads last year in the state were
valued at $22,792,475; telegraph
lines at $5O3,295 and telephone lines
at $632,247.
The value of railroads last year in
proportion tot the value of real and
personal property, was 20 per cent.
Assuming that the board would re-
tain this ratio, it would cause the val
uaion of the railroads to jump to
$60,635,9S2 this year, not counting
any increase in the mileage and
equipment over that of year ago,
which should add another 5000, 900
or more. Increasing telegraph and
telephone lines at their former ratio,
thetotal would climb considerably
more thap $34O,OoO,oO0, but it is as
sumed that the tendency of the board
will be rather to lower values than
to increase hem, in equalizing, which
is known. to be the policy of several
members of the board, even If not
a majority, so that the estimate is
reached of between $685., 100000 to
10000, 900.
State Auditor Taylor. in an inter-
view printed in the Statesman yester-
day, says that the increase this year
over the assessed valuation of 1910
is 165 per cent, not counting railroads
and telegraphs.
1.-The increase, says Mr.. Taylor,
'in the various counties ranges from
65 pr cent to 261 per cent. The re-
turns show that the 81 different as
SCISSORS of the state have assessed
in q different ways. While
full cash valuation was expected to
lead up to. greater uniformity, the
assessmentaof 1911 will go ON record
as the most unequal assessment ever
made In the state of Idaho as between
the counties I FIR.
"The returns from the various
counties now go before the state
board of equalization. In addition to
between the counties the
state board must make the original
assessment upon many millions of
dollars worth of railroad, telegraph
and telephone property.
While the returns show that the
assessed valuation of the state is
$274,259,011.47, this amount may be
increased or decreased under the laws
Is per cent by the state board. In
other words, the board may equalizc
upward or downward, accordingly as
the members may deem the best poll
cy, SO that when the state board Of
has fully completed its
labors the assessed valuation for 1911
may show an increase of Is per cen.
more than $274,25s.011.47, or a cor
responding decrease.
Favors Downward Change
Personally am in favor Of equal
ling downward My reason for this
Is asdesire to save certain classes of
from an. unjust and uprea-